Mcdonalds Global Perspective

McDonald’s Implementation of Current Strategic Plan Synopsis: This is a two page APA citation style essay on Management at McDonald’s. There are eleven sources cited in this essay. The historical thinker whose successes will be correlated to McDonald’s strategic plan is Alexander the Great. The elements involved in organizational strategic planning will be explored. Introduction The strategic plan of McDonald’s has gained worldwide success over the past seventy years of its existence. (McDonald’s, 2012).Mcdonald’s is a worldwide brand which has achieved global recognition of it’s brand and products. McDonald’s began as McDonald’s Bar- B-Q Restaurant in San Bernardino, CA in 1940. Today McDonald’s is a premier global restaurant brand with 330,000 franchises. The McDonald’s franchises attend to over 64,000,000 customers on a daily basis in over 118 countries (McDonald’s, 2012)Alexander the Great was a h istorical thinker who started with a small military force of only 40,000 men and ruled over an empire which extended from the Mediterranean to China.Alexander the Great accomplished this by the application of transactional, transformational and laissez faire leadership (Kilfoil, n. d; Eagley et al. , 2003). Effectively Implementing a Current Strategic Plan in an Organization Both Mcdonald’s and Alexander the Great have gained their successes by application of seven identifiable leadership endeavors which are components of strategic leadership. These components with regards to efficient strategy implementation are: ? Researching a plan of action. ? Formulating a plan of action. Ascertaining strategic orientation including leadership roles. ? Setting equitable organizational limits. ? Efficiently administration of the organizational assets, revenues and liabilities. ? Maintenance of an organizational perspective. ? Promotion of organizational values and ethics (Joomla & Fourie, 2009). These are components of McDonald’s organizational administration (McDonald’s, 2012). Alexander the Great also applied effective organizational management techniques (Kilfoil, n. d. ). In order to properly allocate resources, proper data and research must be acquired.The data for these population studies may be analyzed by application of bar graphs, charts or scatter plots in order to effectively assess data (McCoy & Kinyua, 2012). The elements of organizational culture consists of the physical domains of its framework, semantic regional expressions, ceremonial observances, historical antecedents, belief systems, ethics and mental models. The best manner of shaping corporate culture to fit strategy is to continuously train and educate employees (McShane- Von Glinow, 2002).In exercising strategic leadership, the application of transactional , transformational and laissez faire leadership models are required for the strategic leadership of an organization (Eagly e t al, 2003(. Alexander the Great realized the importance of entertaining his military force with recreational activities *Kilfoil, n. d. ). In order to build a capable organization, the organization must be able to apply leverage to the member’s aptitudes along with the elements of administration, structure and accountability processes and methodologies (Lewis, n. d. . Strategic implementation is the procedure of enabling the organizational management techniques. It is the aggregate of the occupations and perspectives required for the effective implementation of a strategic design (Khaliq, 2011). Best practices are defined by the precise application of aptitudes, implements and strategies which can facilitate the potential of success in a wide range of organizational endeavors. This consists of an empirical process which is supported by organizational consensus. There are five elements to carrying out strategic roles.These elements are processes, individuals, compliance with regulatory statutes, effective administration and the efficient application of technological resources (Span, 2012). A correctly planned extrinsic motivational implementation model is enable organizational managers to provide the most effective tool for encouraging organizational commitment in order to carry out the organizational management objectives (Thompson, 2009). Conclusion The Mcdonald’s organization and the Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great were both able to expand by considering the needs of their members along with the rganizational objectives. The employees and members enable the effective implementation of management policy. In the effective application of strategic leadership with strategy implementation, the empirical outcome has been shown to be successful (Jooste & Fourie, 2009). References Eagly, A. (2003) Transformational, Transactional, and laissez faire leadership styles: a meta analysis comparing men and women. Psychol Bull 2003 Jul; 128(4): 569- 91 http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/12848221 Jooste, C. & Fourie, B. 2009) The role of strategic leadership in effective strategy implementation: Perception of South African strategic leaders. South African Business Review, 13(3) http://www. ajol. info/index. php/sabr/article/viewfile/76341/6679 Khaliq, N. (2011) Business Policy and Strategy http://www. scribd. com/doc/52995555/Business-policy-and-straegy-implemtation Kilfoil, E. (n. d) Alexander the Great http://atschool. eduweb. co. uk/sirrobhitch†¦ /ezra. html Lewis, K. (n. d. ) The Project Capable Organization White Paper Lewis and Fowler, LLC http://www. ewisandfowler. com/white_papers/L%26F_Proj_capable_Org. pdf McCoy, D. & Kinyua, K. (2012) Allocating Scarce Resources Strategically- An Evaluation and discussion of the Global Funds Pattern of Disbursements PLoS ONE May 7(5): 1- 4 Mcdonald’s Food Corp. (2012) History http://www. aboutmcdonalds. com McShane, S. & Von Glinow, M. (2002) Organizational Behavior, Part Four Organizational Processes McGraw Hill Companies, 2002 http://www. govrelations. cornell. edu/govrelations/pdf/upload/organizational_behavior behavor_MCShane_Chap15_VIEW. df Span, S. (2012) Where Are We Going and How Do We Get There? Conducting Strategic Planning Tolere Solutions HR. com http://www. hr. com/en? t=/†¦ s Thompson, A. (2009) Strategia aziendale- Formulazione ed ezecuzione McGraw Hill Companies http://www. ateneonline. it/thompson/studenti/approfondimenti/isbn6622-3_ch12. pdf Weeraretne, D. (2010) Project Management Best Practices- for continuous improvement The Sunday Times, Education http://www. sundattimes. lk/100221/Education/edu05. html

Cooking as an Art Form Essay

Food, cooking, and whatever related to these themes are usually considered as an art because food is an everyday item that has a wide meaning for all people. Food can be considered as an art; for example: the decoration of a food, the way a food is constructed in the plates, or even the way many different foods are being mixed in order to create a new food. Sometimes even people consider the arrangement of plates in a table as an art. This is called Table Art. Brillat-Savarin in his book, â€Å"The physiology of taste† states that cooking is the oldest of all arts. He says that Adam was born hungry and even a new born child first looks for become feed by his nurse right after he comes to new world (Physiology of taste, 300). He also believes that cooking and food is the finest art that has had the most influence on humans’ civilization (300). Food is one of the fewest things in whole world that almost everyone becomes satisfied with. When people eat, a kind of satisfaction and pleasure make them happy. And whatever can make a person happy could be considered as an art. Gastronomy is the knowledge and science of whatever related to human’s nourishment (physiology of taste, 51). Savarin believes that Gastronomy is a part of cookery. The way the dishes are adapted and arranged in a table and the way a food is tasted make the food as an art work (physiology of taste, 51). Savarin by his philosophical look explain the joy and sadness that a food can cause by its taste. He says that taste gives us the greatest joy because eating is the only thing which is not followed by regret (physiology of taste, 42). Brillat-Savarin says that the knowledge of Gastronomy is important for everyone. â€Å"There is this special advantage in their gastronomical knowledge, that they attain through it a completely personal note in the way their table is maintained; they are able to supervise up to a certain point the arrangements which they must then entrust to others, and they may even direct them occasionally†. Preparation of food is as much important as the food itself. Only a good cook can prepare a food in its best way and the final product is what everyone would like to try. Brillat-Savarin in his book explains how a skilled cook can make a fish that become an immense source of pleasure. He explains different ways it can be prepared, served in whole, cut in fillets or sliced, whether boiled or fried, cold or hot. And what he believes is that it would be always acceptable (physiology of taste, 91). Sometimes only professional cooks can make an astonishing dish because every one does not have the skill and techniques of preparation of a dish. For example when John Barlow wanted to try the ear part of the pig he found it a little disgusting before he saw the dish but after they prepare his dish he said: â€Å"The culinary art, I guess, often involve artifice. Things are cooked so as to disguise their ugly origins. An oxtail, for example, doesn’t really look like an ox’s tail; it looks brown and glazed and beautiful, like a slow-roasted half-brogue† (Everything but the squeal, 208). Savarin interestingly explains the different usage of sugar in his book and he describes how skillful a man should be in order to mix sugar with different other things to prepare a good product. For instance, sugar mixed with water that is refreshing and healthy, mixed with wine which produces cordials, or mixed with flour and eggs, the result is sponge cakes, muffins, and uncountable delicious pastries which are all the product of skillful cook (physiology of taste, 102 & 103). In the Gourmet’s diary of a foodie, it was so amazing when Chef Dani Garci was making fantastic dishes by some simple ingredients, like: Green and red Gazpacho and Ajo Blanco which are traditional dishes of south Spain. The most significant part is that how they take their times to make these dishes. They are like an art work that an artist put all his time and skill on it to create the best work. It was so amazing when he was making those tomato skins which were frozen in nitrogen. He was using all his skill to make them and coat them with red color. Food and cooking just same as music can inspire people. Usually when people listen to music they like to dance. It is the inspiration of music and brings people together to dance. Food and cooking do the same thing as music does. Gourmands are people who are fond of good eating and Gourmandism has an important effect in our social life. It spreads the spirit of entertainment and friendship which brings together different kinds of people, make a friendly atmosphere that people mingle and melt in to conversation, and vanish the inequalities of position and breeding (physiology of taste, 153). Also it will motivate the host to do his best in order to make the best table for his guests and take care of them. The host uses his knowledge and techniques to please his guests. Brillat-Savarin states,† any preparation which springs from a high intelligence demands explicit praise, and a tactful expression of appreciation must always be made whenever it is plain that there is any attempt to please† (153). Savarin explains the origin of the table in his book and he brings the note that one of the most important and strong laws of human being is to respect for any one with whom one has shared bread and salt. He says that it happens during the meals that languages should have born and perfected (physiology of taste, 182). From the other point of his view, he explains the effect of Truffles and how it inspires humans.â€Å"whosever pronounces the word truffle gives voice to one which awakens erotic and gastronomical dreams equally in the sex that wears skirts and the one that sprouts a beard† (Savarin, 93). Savarin by his explanations believes that truffle is the diamond of the art of cookery (physiology of taste, 95). The art of food and cooking is really one of the greatest works by a human being in history. The power of table, unbelievable different tastes, techniques of preparation, and all other aspects that concern about food and cooking should really considered as an art. John Barlow in his book â€Å"Everything but the squeal†, demonstrates the power of table and how a table can bring people around the table. Indeed, it is like a movie scene when he was sitting next to a family and he noticed that how they stare down at their table before they start eating, he says their elbows were raised and explains how the table was prepared and arranged, the way the forks and knives were next to dishes (Barlow, 145). In fact, these kinds of excitements are the result of foods and cooking’s art. In Gourmet’s diary of foodie, there is a connection between the traditional foods of gypsies and the art and skill of cooking. Manuel Valencia who is a chef and author wrote a book about the traditional gypsy foods. He explains what constitute gypsy foods in his books. In the video it is really interesting to see how they cook while they are dancing and how they manage the table and guests. It is the art of gypsies that can entertain their guests and serve them delicious foods by simple ingredients. They prepare nice dishes with the lowest costs and of course this would not be done only if you are a professional cook. Also I noticed that how they prepare Iberico Hams in Spain. It is said in the video that from the dehesa to the table will take 4 years. So what do they do during these years is all about preparing the most delicious ham in the world which obviously is so expensive. To conclude this, it is important to know that cooking and whatever is related to foods and cooking is one of the finest arts conceived by human and it should be considered as art in all aspects and themes of cooking, from preparing to eating.

Operations Management Principles-Phase 1 DB Essay

Operations Management Principles-Phase 1 DB - Essay Example This makes today’s customer more sophisticated in terms of tastes and preferences. Customers have come to demand the value of their money in relation to quality and other critical features of products or services. Recent research shows a massive growth in numbers of people complaining about poor services or faulty goods as well as being more assertive and willing to take action against companies (CIM, 2003). Customer complains may range from faulty goods or inadequate services. Thus there is the need to realize we are operating in a more competitive and litigious environment where our company must respond to customer complains. Research also indicates that it is far easier and cheaper to retain current customers than it is to cultivate new ones (Wilmshurst J. & Mackay A, 1999). Moreover, research shows that dissatisfied customers tend to spread the news of their bad experiences very quickly – something that will affect not only our company image, but also risk loosing sales in the long run. There need for the company to develop a strategy that must effectively deal with customer complains for us to achieve growth and sustainability in the industry and take market leadership. For the purpose of establishing practical steps in establishing a customer complaints program, I will use steps established by Wilmshurst, J. and Mackay, A 1999 in their book The Fundamentals of Advertising, which suggest identification of customer needs and perception as first step. Our company must clearly establish what these are and how our customer care department needs to be designed to meet them (Wilmshurst J. & Mackay A, 1999). Secondly, we need to establish a mission statement that is widely accepted for the approach of customer care. Thirdly, our company must clearly set standards and specifications, such as standard for courtesy, credibility, communication, responsiveness, empathy with customer and confidentiality. Fourthly, we

Organizational Analysis, FMC Green River and FMC Aberdeen Essay

Organizational Analysis, FMC Green River and FMC Aberdeen - Essay Example I. FMC Aberdeen is a relatively new location for FMC that manufactures missile canisters for the Navy. It is a complex and highly technical component, but it is the only product made at Aberdeen. Aberdeen, with 100 employees, has been managed by a succession of individuals who have empowered the employees and encouraged the company to be a thinking organization. They work in teams of from 3 to 16 members, the employees are flexible, and they seek unique solutions to problems on a continual basis. This approach has worked well for Aberdeen and the present manager Roger Campbell has been very successful (Clawson 2005). The manager of FMC Green River, Kenneth Dailey, would like to incorporate some of Aberdeen's organizational models at the Green River facility. The Green River plant is over ten times the size of Aberdeen. It has been in existence for over 50 years, almost since the beginning of the parent corporation. The plant is unionized and the labor is specialized. There is not a close company social structure associated with work at Green River. Green River is a good place to work, the employees are well paid, and they have no trouble attracting qualified applicants (Clawson 2005). III. The types of jobs at the two facilities are considerably different. At Aberdeen, everyone works toward the production of one product. Though there are several stages to its production, there is a common bond to the end result. At Green River there are several products and numerous customers. There may be a separation between departments that produce the different products. Furthermore, the employees at Green River are geographically isolated within the plant. The plant at FMC Aberdeen is more adept at the management of ability due to its smaller size and limited products. The Aberdeen plant has a history of open management styles. The workforce has been hand picked to operate in this environment. They work well in teams and understand the concept of networking. The employees of Green River are Union workers who have not been exposed to an open team environment. They may not have the organizational ethics that are required for Aberdeen's organizational structure. Green River's workforce has been selected based on their qualifications, but haven't been screened for ability to work in teams or to network. This has given the FMC Aberdeen workforce a great organizational commitment with the necessary ethics, while Green River has developed a culture and an atmosphere of a rigid bureaucracy that expects others to solve the problems that are outside their job description. The Green River plant has taken on its own culture and it has become institutionalized within the organization. The geographical isolation has reduced communications and the Union structure has discouraged free thinking and acting. This has reduced both organizational commitment and job satisfaction. The employees at Green River have certain expectations of management in the way of pay, raises, and safety. In return, management gets dependability and production. Job satisfaction and organizational co

The Strategic Context of Projects Research Paper

The Strategic Context of Projects - Research Paper Example First, the project team must resolve schedule issue. The team must resolve when each phase of the entire project will be started. The same team should also determine when each phase of the project should stop. The team must decide which schedule should go first. Second, the project team, through its leader or manager, must resolve priorities issue. The project team should decide who will make the priority list. The same project team must decide which portion of the each phase should go first. The same project team must decide with which part of each phase must begin. The same team will decide which portion of each phase will start next. The project team will determine which portion of the entire phase will have third priority each phase of the entire project. Third, the project team, through its leader or manager, must resolve resources issue. The project team leader will decide which resources will be uses in each phase of the entire project. The same project team leader will decide which sources should not be included in the entire project. The project team leader will decide on the quality of the resources used during the entire project. Fourth, the project team, through its leader or manager, must resolve technical beliefs issue. ... Further, step two of the technical beliefs issue focuses on forcing the employees to implement the project team manager’s decisions. The manager must implement the best alternative in resolving the prior problem solving issue. The team manager should force the subordinates’ immediate compliance with management decisions, immediately and whole-heartedly. The manager must implement a win-win solution to resolve the current problem solving endeavor. Furthermore, step three of the same technical beliefs issue centers on the team manager compromising with the disgruntled subordinates. The in compromising, both management and subordinates will meet halfway. The meeting halfway step means giving up some of the parties’ original demands or requests. Reducing disgruntlement increases project team output. Fifth, the project team, through its leader or manager, must resolve administrative policies and process issue. The management should resolve new policies or current poli cies to improve the entities’ overall financial performance. Project team management explains the many benefits of implementing the new company policy and process. The same project team management should reduce resistance to administrative policies and processes by having a brainstorming session. All individuals are given free reign to give their comments, suggestions, disillusionment, and other inputs as a basis for problem solving issues. Sixth, the project team, through its leader or manager, must resolve the project cost issue. The team manager will get quotes from different suppliers. The project team managers will decide to buy the company’s requirements by electing the product or service offering the most reasonably cost. The project team manager must

Strategic Audit For Lowes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Audit For Lowes - Essay Example Back in 1962, the company had got only 15 stores and sooner the number kept increasing and so as the number of states. Today, the company is having more than 1250 stores in 49 states across U.S. Last year's sales were $43.2 Billion and the company employees are over 185,000 people. The future goals of Lowe's are simply to delight more and more of population by providing them with a luxury to feel. Lowe's uses the latest technology to assist customers and provide solutions for their home improvement projects. The majority of customers are retail customers (Do It Yourself) who are individuals buying Lowe's products, however there is a considerable amount of commercial customers as well, such as professional house builders, contractors and architects etc. The company is strategically identifying places to enter, there is a lot of gap in the market and Lowe's has got the immediate focus on filling the existing gaps in the society and to move itself from number 2 spot to number 1. The company has targeted states where the population is more than 500,000 and it is still trying to increase the number of stores by 16% a year. Lowe's is currently expanding to new markets across the U.S, also targeting metropolitan cities and recently opened new stores in metropolitan cities like New York and Chicago. ... o the strategies the company is using are in relation to the market growth and expansion which exactly is their objective apart from serving the people at their homes. The company's vision statement says, "We will provide customer-valued solutions with the best prices, products and services to make Lowe's the first choice for home improvement"(vision statement). Policies: Lowe's doesn'tjust offer the tools to help you create your dream home. We're helping lay the foundation for a better place to live. As one of the world's leading retailers, we realize everything we do impact the people and environment around us. That's whywe're committed to helping communities grow stronger. By investing in people and communities, promoting measures that protect the environment and providing opportunity in the workplace, Lowe's is raising the bar in every aspect of the way we conduct our business. To us, the best way to do business is by being a good neighbor. In the company's laws and regulations part from the employee's view point, it has been clearly stated that, Lowe's values its reputation for complying with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations in the conduct of its business. Therefore, every Employee, while acting on behalf of the company, shall comply with all applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations, and should avoid engaging in any conduct that, even though legally permissible, is inconsistent with the ethical principles to which Lowe's subscribes. If there is any uncertainty about what is required or is prohibited by law or by regulations adopted by federal, state or local government agencies, Employees should seek guidance from the company's General Counsel. Strategic Managers Board Of Directors: The company has got a list of 11 board of

Do the classical theorists still apply to modern warfare in the Essay

Do the classical theorists still apply to modern warfare in the twentieth century What about in the twenty-first century - Essay Example However, governmental bodies and rulers, along with the participants of battles and conflicts have their distinct and particular classical theorists with the consultative expertise, who recommends and propose impeccable opinions to these bodies. These theorist offers with their opinions and recommendations principally for the role of planning as they have encountered the ground realities of the battlefield in a widespread and comprehensive way. In addition, they are masters with the boundless and considerable information and statistics on the past and chronicled researches2. The studies and data demonstrates the fact that classical theorist still apply to the contemporary conflicts and wars in the twentieth century as well as in the twenty-first century specifically concerning the technological advancements and boom in the industrial sector that the world is experiencing. Although the industrial revolution did not bring change largely for the classical theorists, yet they continued t o keep themselves modernized and elucidated the existing and recent truths and information on a continuous basis in order to maintain their worth and significance3. Several of the theories related to warfare in the old times have undergone some changes and are dissimilar and unlike to the modern warfare as the social, political, cultural, economic and technological factors alters with the passage of time and thus, have a great deal of influence on the articulation of the warfare4. Many of the classical theories have come under collection, assembling, and consolidation by the theorists that were imperative and essential intuitions, perceptions and visions that emphasized their extended apprehensions of the warfare, rather than their advice to the explicit activities in the war. According to some of the classical theorists, ethical and principal manipulation, climatic conditions, territory, or region of a country, authority, control and domination, and regulation and obedience were fe w major and elementary aspects that were critical and crucial to the planning of the war5. Whereas, when looking at the other end of the spectrum, in contrast to the extensive knowledge about the past records of the army and their headship and management, the above mentioned aspects of consideration at the planning of the war by few theorist was irrelevant, out of date or even pedestrian6. As the classical theorist had different perspectives, their ideas and thoughts differ from each other and this can come under witness by the diverse and deviating past situations and surroundings. Some of the theorists focused and emphasized that, victory in the fight and conquering and defeating the rivals through paramount focus was the leading and vital solution. While others highlighted and accentuated the fact that deceit and dishonesty is the key to success and winning in the battle, and ruling over, and controlling the enemy’s insight and opinions will make them fight to the directed side7. Despite of the fact that the classical theorists were poles apart, nevertheless, they had abundant and plentiful chief and significant resemblances and relationship in their theories. The

The Goddess of 1967 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Goddess of 1967 - Essay Example The film, The goddess of 1967 (Law, 2000) has a duration of 118 minutes in which the viewer is invited to traverse a beautiful physical landscape that parallels a bizarre and melancholy emotional landscape. Before immigrating to Australia, Clara Law, the director of this film, had made a number of films in Hon Kong which won good reception also (Phillips, 2001). This particular film had earned entry into prestigious film festivals like Venice and Toronto film festival (Phillips, 2001). The theme of the film is a journey undertaken by two strangers- a man and a woman- under odd circumstances, and the recollections they make of their lives through which they heal themselves as well. On surface, it is for the sake of a car, the whole journey is undertaken, but deep inside it is a journey through one’s own self for the protagonists. This was a movie that perplexed its viewers so that they were divided into its fans and foes (Coyle, 2005, p.67). Only two things that are seemingly perfect in this film are 1) the car, which is a much coveted Citroen DS, and 2) the natural beauty that encompasses the visual narrative of the film. Everything else is flawed- the minds of the characters, the life situations and the memories. Yet the beauty of the car is paralleled by the beauty of the landscape in each frame in which they appear together. And the film, like many other travel films, shows how the emotional wounds are healed by mutual understanding and companionship, by revisiting the past with a retrospective calmness. What the director tries to explain This film is about a lot many things including the mechanical life that one encounters in a city, the helplessness of human existence, loneliness, crime and the baser elements of human mind. Chaudhuri (2007) has called this film based on â€Å"themes of exile† whe rein the male protagonist is a temporary migrant in Australia and the female protagonist is alienated from her society and family in her own land and hence living a life of exile (p.122). Fung Cheu (2007) on the other hand has opined that the theme of this film is â€Å"cultural dislocation† (p.129). From a direct view point, this film has been also called the story of an abused woman (Fung Cheu, 2007, p.141) By making a car the major presence in this film, a car with a history, a car venerated as perfect and elegant in all times, the film contrasts the perfection of a machine with the liveliness of even a flawed human existence. A machine cannot sin against its design and it is built to behave, but a human being is prone to vices but still retains a hand full of godly moments in his/her life. In a feminist interpretation of the presence of this car in this film, some critics (Senzani and Florida Atlantic University, 2008) have said that the car represented a channel of †Å"escape†¦ for the abused women†, and even a â€Å"mobile home† (p.431). It is also a depiction of how circumstances make and carve human characters. The film is made in such a way that this conclusion can be arrived at either with pessimism or optimism. The beauty of the film is in that it never advises the viewer to make either of this choice. The director herself has called this film â€Å"an attempt to portray the dysfunctional character of contemporary life and personal relations† (as cited by Phillips, 2001). The isolation that comes inevitably with urbanization, the bizarre ways in which humans try to relate, even by trying to love reptiles and strangers, and the visible absence of a community around human lives, are some aspects that gets subtly discussed in this film.

The Playwright Employ to Create Tension Essay Example for Free

The Playwright Employ to Create Tension Essay Act I of A View from the Bridge ends with Marco standing over Eddie, holding a chair above his head threateningly. This stage direction, which expresses Marcos physical power and dominance over Eddie, is not very surprising to the audience as through the whole scene Arthur Miller has been building up tension in a variety of ways. In this essay I will be examining and evaluating these methods. The play is a tragedy. In all tragic plays, the ending involves a death. The audiences awareness of this builds up tension because the ending is inevitable. A View from the Bridge is set in Red Hook in the 1950s. There is a very important code of honour between the inhabitants of the area, who are primarily immigrants from Italy. We learn of this code through Eddies story of Vinnie, who is spat on in the street because he betrayed his uncle, an illegal immigrant, to the immigration bureau. This creates tension as throughout the play as the audience knows if anyone does break the code, there will be disastrous results for them. This theme of betrayal is also connected with Arthur Miller. He was a communist sympathiser during the cold war, a time when all communists in the west were hated and feared. Many communist supporters living and working in America were forced to give out names of other communists within the country. Arthur Miller was firmly against informing, and highlights his views throughout the play Arthur Millers use of the narrator, Alfieri, also builds up tension. At the beginning of the scene, he says I knew where he was going to end. The audience know the play will end unpleasantly because of this, so a lot of tension is built up through the anticipation of the ending.

The Killers Essay Example for Free

The Killers Essay Hemingway is a great figure of the  « lost generation  », like Fitzgerald, S. Anderson, G. Stein, S. Lewis†¦ F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote â€Å"all gods dead, all wars fought, all faiths in man shaken† to describe the feeling the young intellectuals had in this years. The writers of the â€Å"lost generation† added their own feelings of loss and failure to the previous tradition of realism. The short story The killers by Hemingway is representative of this realism and those feelings of loss and failure, because it seems that Summit (the town where the action takes place) and its inhabitants are part of a sterile and destructive world without any god or powers above. How and why is this short story representative of this â€Å"lost generation† ? I)Realism : †¢The setting the atmosphere : the setting seems to be a commonplace : comparison with Ed. Hoppers’s painting Nighthawks, representing a similar place a very common lunch counter, in an American town, Summit artificial atmosphere with â€Å"streetlight†, â€Å"arc light† in the street ; the colours seem to be absent of the scene : this is a sort of black white scene, with the darkness of the night and the artificial white light, the â€Å"black overcoat† and â€Å"the face was small and white†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦) the town seems to be a dead town, with a great impression of loneliness †¢The mundanity: everything is prosaic : for instance, the menu :  « a roast pork tenderloin with applesauce and mashed potatoes  » or  « ham and eggs, bacon and eggs, liver rand bacon, or a steak† the language is contaminated by this mundanity, it reflects the disenchantment of the world †¢The time : -the time is passing minute after minute without real action : â€Å" it’s five o’clock †, â€Å" it was a quarter past six †, â€Å" it was twenty past six †, â€Å"at six fifty-five†, â€Å"the hands of the clock marked seven o’clock and then five inutes past seven† -the rhythm of the story could be comparated with the rhythm of blues music : it is very slow, without any real action, filled by a pointless conversation †¢ The violence in the contact between the characters : -violence is omnipresent, subjacent even in the dialogs between the characters:â€Å"what the hell do you put it on the card for†, â€Å"oh, to hell with the clock†, â€Å"you’re a pretty bright boy, aren’t you ? † and then â€Å"well, you’re not†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ -the cook and Nick are tied up : â€Å"I got them tied up like a couple of girl friends in the convent†, the â€Å"killers† use arms â€Å"Al [.. with the muzzle of a sawed-off shotgun resting on the ledge†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ II)An everyday tragedy : †¢An imposed behaviour : -every action is imposed by a sort of automatic reflex, for instance Ole Andreson is always on the run â€Å"I’m through with all that running around†, the inhabitants of the city â€Å"all come here and eat the big dinner† everyday, Ole Andreson â€Å"comes here to eat every night [†¦] at six o’clock†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ -the characters are locked in the routine †¢The passivity of the characters : the characters are all passive : they do not react when the killers come in the restaurant, they accept to be tied up without any form of rebellion, at the end of the story, the cook says â€Å"I don’t even listen to it† when Nick is telling George about his visit to Ole, George says â€Å"you better not think about it†, Nick wants to â€Å"get out of this town† -Ole stay lying on his bed looking at the wall while he is sure to be killed, he does not react and just says â€Å"after a while I’ll make up my mind to go out†, when going out means to be killed The characters are failures : -the killers are described only by there garments : â€Å"a derby hat and a black overcoat buttoned across the chest†, â€Å"they were dressed like twins†, â€Å"both wear overcoats too tight for them†, they are â€Å"about the same size†; it is as f all their nature could be locked in their appearance -Al is described with only two features : â€Å"his face was small and white and he had tight lips†, max is not described -They are seen as a â€Å"vaudeville team†, a sort of comic pair (like laurel Hardy for instance), which is far away from the representation of killers, they are too much real that they seem unreal -Ole, who was a boxer, is now seen as â€Å" an awfully nice man†, â€Å"he’s just as gentle† says Mrs Bell : all the characters seems to be failures III)Adversity of the world : The loneliness : the town, Summit, is a sort of symbol of loneliness despair the death is omnipres ent, even in a subjacent form : for the killers, the death of a man is just a simple action (detachment) : â€Å"what are you going to kill him for, then ? † and the answer â€Å"we’re killing him for a friend. Just to oblige a friend†, â€Å"he never even seen us† for ole, life seems to be worse than death : he has no passion, he keeps looking the wall when Nick says he is going to be killed by two men (total failure to act) The characters seem to be interchangeable : -as seen before, the characters seem to be interchangeable : they are devoid of personality, there is a play on resemblance / dissemblance (the 2 killers look alike even if they are different) -Ole does not look at Nick, but is always looking to the wall (it is as if Nick as lost his humanity for Ole) -Mrs Bell is confused with Mrs Hirsch†¦ †¢A refuge in the language ? in that story, it seems that language is only used as a refuge for the characters : they speak only to fill the time passing by (inanity of conversation), to forget the loneliness of the place.. -when Al says â€Å"shut up ! you talk to goddam much†, Max answers â€Å"well, I got to keep bright boy amused† or â€Å"we have to keep amused, haven’t we ? † : it is as if language was used only to fill a gap -the words are used two or three times : for instance, â€Å"well, good night†, â€Å"I guess† or â€Å"it’s a hell of a thing† and â€Å"it’s an awful thing† (it is like a dialog of the deaf) A disenchanted world : the story stop short : there is no suspense, the killers have told George they were about to kill Ole, but they do not the title â€Å"the killers† announced a story of gangsters, of killers, but there is finally no murder, therefore the end of the story is quite â€Å"flat† It is as if nothing could move the characters (Ole resolved to death, immutability of the characters†¦) Summit and its inhabitants seem to be a sterile and destructive world deserted by God, accomplishing a destiny without any form of rebellion Conclusion : The short story The killers is quite representative of the writing of the â€Å"lost generation†; here, it seems that human beings have been abandoned by God, in an hostile world, where action is doomed to failure. Men are resolved to death, since they cannot do anything to change life. Ole Anderson, destined to death, keeps lying on his bed, unable of any action, saying â€Å"there ain’t anything to do†, and will surrender to his enemies : it is as if life were worse than death for him. Hemingway uses the realism to show how much life is insipid and bland for those men, and describes the â€Å"everyday tragedy† they live in and the adversity of the world.