Into the Wild Analysis free essay sample

Into the Wild Publication Date: 1996 Author: Jon Krakauer Nationality: American Author’s Birth/Death Dates: April 12th 1954 Present Distinguishing Traits of Author: Jon Krakauer  is an  American  writer and  mountaineer. He has written many books about the  outdoors  and  mountain climbing. He is the author of best-selling non-fiction books Into the Wild,  Into Thin Air,  Under the Banner of Heaven, and  Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman. After graduating from college, he spent three weeks by himself in the wilderness of the  Stikine Icecap  region of  Alaska  and climbed the  Devils Thumb. These experiences mirror what Chris McCandless has done in his book Into the Wild. Furthermore, Krakauer climber Mount Everest in 1996 and was a part of the  1996 Mount Everest disaster which involved four of his teammates (including the up leader  Rob Hall) dying in a storm as they descended from the mountain. Plot Synopsis: Jim Gallien was driving through Alaska, when he sees a 24-year-old hitchhiker named Alex who came from South Dakota. We will write a custom essay sample on Into the Wild Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As Alex elaborates on his plan to explore the wilderness, Gallien tries changing his mind, as he is certain that Alex is unprepared for life in the Alaskan wilderness. Therefore, Gallien offers to buy Alex some gears to help improve his chances of surviving. Despite Gallien’s good intentions, Alex declines. As Alex departs for adventure, Gallien gives Alex his phone number, telling him to call if he makes it out alive. Almost 5 months later on September 6, 1992, Ken Thompson, Gordon Samel, and Ferdie Swanson arrive at a broken down bus. At the site of the abandoned bus, a decomposed corpse is found. This unfortunate even begins the investigation and story of a man named Chris McCandless, a young man who perished when he is twenty-four. McCandless grew p in a wealthy Virginia, and was a very gifted athlete as well as a smart individual. After graduating from high school, McCandless spent his summer by taking a road trip across the country. Upon his return, he changes his mood because he discovered that his father secretly had a second family during his childhood. McCandless soon returns home and starts school at Emory, but his bitterness over the fact that he was not told of such an important secret gradually grew worse and worse. As a senior, he drove away most of his friends and barely kept in touch with his parents. As soon as he has graduated, he donates his $25,000 savings anonymously to OXFAM, gets in his car, and drives away with the intention of disappearing from his parents’ radar. As a last symbol of his resolve to leave his past life behind, he abandons his real name and changes his name to Alexander Supertramp. As he travels further and further down the path of adventure he carved for himself, McCandless meets and drastically affects many people. Although developing close bonds with many, nobody could deter him from continuing his harrowing journey. As McCandless travels around and into the wild, he keeps a personal diary and takes pictures to document the places he has been. Isolated from society, McCandless survives in the wilderness with minimum food and equipment. As soon as he is finished with one adventure, he decides briefly returned society in order to make some income and purchase enough supplies for his next wild quest. Before he passed away, he had visited many areas such as Las Vegas and San Diego At the beginning of his adventure, Chris makes acquaintances with Wayne Westerberg, the owner of a grain elevator in Carthage, South Dakota. After initial departing, Chris comes back a few weeks later to work for Wayne in order to generate some income. After leaving Westerberg’s place, Chris heads south and eventually ends up in Arizona where he buys a canoe. He soon decides to row down the Colorado River to the Gulf of California and sneaks into Mexico. On January 11, 1991, he is nearly overpowered in a bad storm, and after managing to survive, he decides to return back north. As he is returning, he is caught by the immigration authorities, but he manages to convince them to let him go. He soon arrives in Bullhead City, Arizona in early October where he works at McDonalds. While he stays in Bullhead City, Chris camps outside of town a man named  Charlie, who he met in a restroom. When he finally leaves Bullhead City, he goes to visit Jan Burres and Bob at the Niland Slabs. Soon after leaving Jan, Chris sets up camp in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. One day, while hiking back from a provisions trip he gets a ride from an eighty-year old man named  Ronald Franz who thinks that Chris seems like a good person. Over the next few weeks, they spend a lot of time together. They drive to Colorado together, and Franz finds is very sad once Chris leaves him. The last journey he ever took was one to the harsh areas of Alaska. As he progressed through the dangerous terrain, he was making good progress. But as he finds a deep and fast river as his obstacle, he is forced to return to a abandoned bus he had found. As the climate grew harsher, it became harder to hunt and find a sustainable source of nourishment. With the lack of food and nutrients, McCandless quickly lost weight and energy. In his last few days, McCandless is overcome by starvation and the cold. When he finally died alone and hungry, he had spent a little more than 100 days in the wild and realizes that the nature is, only a refuge for a short while, and true happiness can only be shared with others. 19 days after his initial death, moose hunters found his body partially decomposed in the bus. Upon further examination of the bus, the diaries and the supplies were still nearby. Initially, many thought he died from eating a poisonous type of pea that he mistook for potato seeds. After his tragic tale was published, many criticized him for being as foolish as to think he could survive on his wits alone. There were many who criticized him for not heading into the wild with proper equipment. As a result, many believe it was his own fault for his death as he was overconfident and misjudged the severity of the Alaskan wilderness. Character Description: Chris McCandless Soon after disappearing from his parents’ radar, he sheds his name and adopts the new name of â€Å"Alexander Supertramp†. Coming from a well off family, Chris had a normal life and many friends as well as excelling in athletics. The only issue that haunted him growing up was his relationship with his parents. Diligent and thorough, he was â€Å"the hardest worker [Westburg] has ever seen† (18). Mentally, he was extremely intelligent and strikes people â€Å"as much older than twenty four† (67). He is shown to be particularly willful as â€Å"he was the sort of person who insisted on living out his beliefs† (67). When he was climbing a mountain with his grandfather at the age of twelve, he was stopped from reaching the peak, yet â€Å"he wanted to go to the top†¦ [and] if he’d been fourteen or fifteen, he would have simply gone on without [his grandpa]† (109). Furthermore, he was incredibly skilled at numerous things, he was â€Å"a high achiever in almost everything that caught his fancy† (109). Due to his outstanding talents and skills, he was overconfident and â€Å"didn’t think odds applied to him† (109). Lastly, Chris was a very compassionate individual, often sacrificing his weekends to talk â€Å"with prostitutes and homeless people, buying them meals, earnestly suggesting ways they might improve their lives† (113). Ultimately, Chris was a complex individual who excelled in many things, yet it was his superior skills that led to his eventual demise. Symbols, Motifs, Archetypes, Allusions Symbol: Money Money was something Chris grew up treasuring. He was â€Å"always an entrepreneur† (115). However, as he began his journey, the value of money was greatly diminished. He did not care about material wealth as shown when he burned up what little money he had and donated his savings to a charity. In this story, money symbolizes the capitalistic and materialistic lifestyle people lead. It is a representation of the past when he was â€Å"an entrepreneur† (67). Chris shows he wants to forgo all of that and find a new start when he burns his money. The last name â€Å"Supertramp† Tramp could mean many different things. One of its possible meanings is a long and tiring journey on foot. Super is a word that often makes another word more significant. The symbolism being Chris McCandless’ choice to change his name into Alexander Supertramp could be to show that he will keep on walking a tiring journey but he will not stop. Despite the long and tedious journey, he will keep going in order to achieve his dreams. Motifs: Guns Wherever Alex traveled, he always had a form of weaponry with him. He had a . 22 caliber rifle with him as Gallien picked him up. He had a few Swiss army knives and belt knives from Burres. Knives are a reoccurring element in this story. It gives the wielder power and an advantage over nature. It makes killing prey and hunting far easier. Furthermore, knives help with skinning the animal and removing its inner organs. Weaponry has helped Chris survive in the wild despite it being a product of the society he longed to escape from. Allusions: There are allusions to many different literary works that have been published. The most prominent work of literature is Call of the Wild by Jack London. Other book include White Fang, War and Peace â€Å"To Build a Fire†, â€Å"An Odyssey of the North†, and â€Å"The Wit of Porportuk†. Most if not all of these novels tell of a harsh and difficult journey of which Chris McCandless is enthralled by and tries to mirror with his own life. Archetypes: The Wanderer One archetype in this story is that of a wanderer. The original wanderer was the Greek warrior Odysseus who traveled a difficult journey to go home. Like Odysseus, Chris McCandless receives help from others and faces many hardships during his travels. However, unlike Odysseus, Chris’ goal was to get as far away as possible from his family whereas Odysseus strives to return to his wife Penelope. The Siren The siren’s mysterious and compelling voice leads many lives to be lost. In this story, the siren is not a tangible thing, but rather the nature itself. While nature can seem so pristine and pure, it has caused many deaths whether it would be avalanches or floods. The beauty of nature compels many to try to explore the wilderness only to find the harsher realities and dying cruel deaths. Themes: The Search for Freedom Throughout the entire novel, the main goal of everybody who set out on an adventure was to find freedom. McCandless was tired of abiding the rules of his parents and frequently had disputes with his dad and decided to leave his past and pursue a future with more freedom. Rosellini, another character who lived in the wilderness, searched for a liberty from the inferior statuses he believes that humans have digressed to. In addition, Waterman, an accomplished adventurer, went on difficult and challenging journeys to find an escape from the hurt he had endured to his psyche. Even the author himself sought freedom in his life, resorting to exploring the wild after quitting a job that was tying him down. All in all, many characters were enamored by the idea of personal freedom. McCandless, who eventually perished for his dream, described his journey as one for the â€Å"ultimate freedom. † Unable to settle down and listening to the orders of others, â€Å"he [looked] for more adventure and freedom than today’s society gives people† (174). His freedom included transcending his own personal limitations and â€Å"he had a need to test himself in ways† (182). It was because his parents were â€Å"so irrational, so oppressive, disrespectful and insulting† (64) that he decided to leave them behind and live his life as free as possible. Because â€Å"he was the sort of person who insisted on living out his beliefs† (67), he was not able to tolerate the rules and regulations his parents had set upon him. In conclusion, Chris left on his trip in order to find himself a place where he would not be subjected to the limitation of others and thus, find true happiness. Another free-spirited character was John Waterman who died trying to free himself from the horrors he had witnessed in his past. As a child, John was scarred when his father â€Å"arrived in the state [but] never took the trouble to see [him]† (77). With his parents abandoning him in the early stages of life, John turned to climbing as a sort of escape from reality. However, climbing eventually â€Å"dealt a serious blow to Waterman’s young psyche† (77), as â€Å"eight of his intimates and climbing partners were killed in accidents or committed suicide† (77). The breaking point in his life was when a cabin â€Å"he was staying in caught fire and†¦ [incinerated] both his equipment and the voluminous accumulation of notes, poetry, and personal journals [which] he regarded as his life’s work† (79). With the final blow struck, he left for his final adventure with the message of â€Å"[you] won’t be seeing [me] again† (79). In the end, Waterman died trying to achieve mental freedom from the tragic experiences he has had in the past. Lastly, the author, Jon Krakauer himself is a pursuer of freedom. The freedom he pursues is one where is lives life to the fullest instead of wasting it. Like McCandless, the male figures in his life â€Å"aroused†¦a confusing medley of corked fury and hunger to please† (134). Unable to break free of his chains, Jon often â€Å"fantasized about†¦undertaking, ascents of remote mountains in Alaska and Canada† (134). When seeing a picture of untamed wilderness representing freedom, â€Å"the picture held an almost pornographic fascination for [him]† (135). When he finally decided to quit his job, he was â€Å"surprised†¦by how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt† (136). As he took in the sensation of newfound freedom, he realizes that â€Å"the world was suddenly rich with possibility† (136). Overall, Jon Krakauer was one of the many who sought a peace of mind and freedom from the others who were controlling his life. The concept of freedom is one that is vital to the life of certain individuals. Many are willing to give up their lives to have a taste of freedom. Chris McCandless is one such individual, risking his life to leave behind the autocratic rule of his parents. John Waterman is haunted by the tragedy of those around him and seeks a refuge from all the hurt and pain he has been through. Lastly, Jon Krakauer seeks a freedom that he could not achieve if he stayed where he was and working at the job he once had. Ultimately, freedom is the object that many pay for with their lives. The Importance of Help and Advice from Strangers Repeatedly, Chris McCandless has been able to continue his journey for freedom due to the kindness of strangers he has met and befriended. Without Gaylord Stuckey, and Jim Gallien, Chris may have never been able to get where he needed to be for the next series of events to happen. Furthermore, he also relied on the assistance and generosity of Wayne Westerberg who gave him a job and money multiple times. Lastly, he had help from the rubber tramps Jan Burres and her husband, who gave him food and shelter. All in all, the kindness of strangers has been beneficial to Chris along his adventure. Jim Gallien is the last person to see Chris alive, and thus, is perhaps the most important character behind him. He is shown to be very generous when him socks, boots, food, and his phone number before Chris disappeared into the wilderness. Trying to dissuade Chris, Gallien warned him â€Å"the hunting wasn’t easy [and] he could go for days without killing any game† (5-6)†. If Chris had taken Jim’s advice, it would have saved him from dying a lonely and isolated death. A minor character who had a big part in McCandless’ life was Wayne Westerberg. Wayne’s kindness was apparent when â€Å"he gave McCandless employment at the grain elevator and rented him a cheap room† (17). Similarly to Jim Gallien, Wayne tried to deter McCandless from taking such a danger trip and that â€Å"it was a mistake to get into that kind of stuff† (18). Westerberg’s role is also critical; he had provided him with money prior to his parting. Westerberg’s eventual arrest caused McCandless to leave â€Å"sooner than he might have under different circumstances† (19). By meeting Wayne Westerberg, Chris McCandless’ life changed its course. Finally, Jan Burres and her husband Bob helped Chris. The moment Jan saw Chris, she thought they â€Å"could give him a meal† (30). In a last attempt to help McCandless survive in the wilderness, Burres gave him â€Å"some Swiss Army knives and a few belt knives† (46). Not only that, but she tried to give him â€Å"some long underwear and other warm clothing†¦ [only to find] he’d pulled it out of his pack when [she] wasn’t looking† (46). With the assistance of Jan Burres, Chris was able to fend off starvation for a brief period of time and make acquaintances with many others. In the end, Chris McCandless’ success in his journey was only attained through the help of strangers he had met.

Road Not Taken By Frost Essays (747 words) - Free Will,

Road Not Taken By Frost The poem "The Road Not Taken" is about the one thing that every living human being will and does encounter, multiple times through out life, it is the miracle of being able to choose. With that choice we must also face the fact that we can never go back and explore the other road not taken. Some choices are easier to choose while other takes some contemplating and time to resolve. But when it is all said and done and we have made our choice, there is still the road we didn't choose and often times we wonder about the road not taken. In the first stanza is a place where two roads diverged which represents the encounter of having to choose from two paths a direction that will dictate the rest of ones life. When faced with decisions, man has to weigh his options carefully to make a more efficient choice. At the split in the road, the speaker looks down both of the paths to see what each of the paths will bring. The speaker's sight is limited; his eyes can only see the path until it bends into"the undergrowth". This is symbolic of people trying to foresee what each choice might bring, but our presage is limited, thus the representation of the undergrowth. But all that is seen is that both diverge into a "yellow wood" and appear to be "about the same". The first of the two paths is the more common route whereas the other less traveled path, "wanted wear." In this Frost brings up the conflict of whether to take the more easy way, the path more commonly traveled, or the way that is more complicated and not as easy to foresee the destination in which is the road less traveled. Choosing the already known easy path in which many people choose reassures that the outcome will be predictable. While choosing the "less traveled" road represents the chance of facing a more difficult path in life in hopes to achieve a more satisfactory life. The choice is made after much contemplation, and the choice is to take the road less traveled. As he is going down that road he has chosen, he still wonders and longs to travel the road not taken. Even when he says to himself in the third stanza that he will keep the first path for another day, he knows that he will not have the opportunity to come back, because "way leads on to way." We are shown in this poem that we are limited to explore all of life's different possibilities. As in "In Hardwood Groves" we see that the only possibility for the leaves to return is to decay into the ground yet if they could choose and would choose not to decay then they would not be able to return. We see in the end of "The Road not Taken" there is a sigh, a sigh that has come from years later looking back and remember the two choices and choosing the harder one and that making all of the difference in the life lead. Frost shows his satisfaction for enduring the uncommon route, but at the same time he "sighs" with lamentation, wondering what he may have missed on the other road. As successful life's turnouts may be, there is always regret wondering how another path taken in life brings about other experiences and other opportunities in life. At the end of the poem "Riders" frost says, "We have ideas yet that we haven't tried." Sometimes we will never be able to try them and that is the road not taken. The poem "The Road Not Taken" can be interpreted as the universal dilemma of encountering two similar choices. In the beginning when we look at them they appear to be similar but as time progresses and we go deeper and deeper down the path we see that they begin to contrast each other as they go off on their separate ways. Faced with very similar choices we try to examine what they have to offer for us, but often we are unable to see the results. We can choose to go the common route, which is the more reliable, and have a common life or we can pursue the less common route, which is unknown and often difficult, and have a unique life that stands out above else. The choices we make in our life are ultimately responsible for our future, yet

Handwriting a Letter Essays

Handwriting a Letter Essays Handwriting a Letter Essay Handwriting a Letter Essay Lou Bennett Everest on line English Composition I Handwriting a Letter Versus Sending an E-Mail Abstract This essay will compare the different effects between writing a regular letter compare to todays new way of sending an e-mail. Since E-mail is, deliver almost as immediately, it is often preferred over traditional mail today. The traditional mail is now call â€Å"snail mail†, which means it is slower than e-mail. Some people still enjoy the old fashioned hand-written letter from a friend or loved one delivered through the post office . The personal level and the finality of the product are a few difference between handwritten letter from a friend or loved one delivered through the post office. By handwriting a letter and sending it by post certainly has its benefits, but the advantage of e-mail outshines tradition with its convenience, low cost and fast delivery so make sure you have the digital addresses of the people you wish to correspond. There is not any question about sending and receiving a hand written letter via traditional mail. It can be quite fun and enjoyable. Some things about this form of mail are personal and can be very heart warming. Although hand written correspondence is very endearing, it is not always the best form of communication, especially when e-mail is ready available and convenient option that you can chose. (Floyd Stephens wrote Advantages of Emailing Versus Hand Writing a Letter. ) References (Floyd Stephens wrote Advantages of Emailing Versus Hand Writing a Letter. )   History of Email were written by Yash Gode Published. The difference between an ordinary letter and an e-mail by Gillian Taber helium. com/items/1490527-the-difference-between-email-and-hand-written-letters The difference between an ordinary letter and an e-mail by Emily Hunter helium. com/items/359714-the-difference-between-an-ordinary-letter-and-an-e-mail :

Reading Motivation - Activities for Elementary Students

Reading Motivation - Activities for Elementary Students Teachers are always looking for ways to boost their students reading motivation. Research confirms that a childs motivation is the key factor in successful reading. You may have noticed students in your classroom who are struggling readers, tend to have a lack of motivation and do not like to partake in book-related activities. These students may have trouble selecting appropriate texts, and therefore do not like to read for pleasure. To help motivate these struggling readers, focus on strategies that will help spark their interest and boost their self-esteem. Here are five ideas and activities to increase your students reading motivation and encourage them to get into books. Book Bingo Motivate students to read a variety of books by playing Book Bingo. Give each student a blank bingo board and have them fill in the squares with some of the suggested phrases: I read a mystery bookI read a funny bookI read a biographyI read an animal storyI read a book about friendship Students can also fill in the blanks with I read a book by..., or I read a book about... Once they have their bingo board labeled, explain to them that in order to cross off a square, they must have met the reading challenge that was written(Have students write the title and author of each book they read on the back of the board). Once the student gets bingo, reward them with a classroom privilege or a new book. Read and Review A great way to make a reluctant reader feel special, and motivate them to want to read, is by asking them to review a new book for the class library. Have the student write a brief description of the plot, main characters, and what he/she thought of the book. Then have the student share his/her review with their classmates. Thematic Book Bags A fun way for younger students to boost their reading motivation is to create a thematic book bag. Each week, select five students to be chosen to take home a book bag and complete the assignment thats in the bag. Inside each bag, place a book with theme-related contents in it. For example, place a Curious George book, a stuffed monkey, a follow-up activity about monkeys, and a journal for the student to review the book in the bag. Once the student returns the book bag have them share their review and activity that they completed at home. Lunch Bunch A great way to pique your students interest in reading is to create a reading lunch bunch group. Each week select up to five students to participate in a special reading group. This entire group must read the same book, and on a determined day, the group will meet for lunch to discuss the book and share what they thought about it. Character Questions Encourage the most reluctant readers to read by having them answer character questions. In the reading center, post a variety of character pictures from the stories your students are currently reading. Under each photo, write Who am I? and leave space for children to fill in their answers. Once the student identifies the character, they must share more information about them. Another way to do this activity is to replace the photograph of the character with subtle hints. For example His best friend is a man in a yellow hat. (Curious George). Additional Ideas Enlist parents to come in and be a mystery reader.Participate in the Pizza Hut Book-It program.Have a Read-a-Thon.Pair students together with a book buddy.Play Name That Book where students have to guess the title of the book you just read to them.

Management Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Management Accounting - Assignment Example At this moment, the strategies that are to be applied in this case are related to the performance of the company are no longer connected to the profitability of the company (Shaffer, 23). Thus, as the strategy to compare overhead costs and overall productivity of the company, it is clear that the company is operating at net loss and strategies should aim at reducing the burden on operating losses. Thus, a strategy to increase performance would consider cutting back on losses an improvement plan. Following the calculations below, the performance of the company depends on the use of available resources in the production of pipes. Based on the cost of raw material and the units produced it is clear that non-overhead costs remained the same at $0.15 considering 10,000,000 feet of pipe costing $1,500,000 and/or 6,000,000 feet costing $900,000. If the company is to trade the new batch of pipes at $0.35, then the company would be gaining $0.1 as profit for every foot of pipe sold. Based on the table below, decreasing the price of the pipes would be the best decision for the company to cut back on losses and acquire an economies of scale strategy. There are various levels of costs involved in the case of Riverside Hotel. These involve fixed, variable, and sunk costs. In terms of the fixed costs, all overhead costs are fixed and include the cost of acquiring the equipment for preparing meals, the premises, power, and heat. Specifically, one of the fixed overhead costs include the price of the oven which is priced at $20,000. On the other hand, non-overhead costs include the price of the salad which is $1 and the prime rib which costs $7. The fixed price of the prime rib and the salad make up the cost of materials. However, for every meal made, the used ingredients add up to the final price. In this case, the price of making dinner using the prime rib and salad is fixed at $8 assuming that there is no labor, equipment, and power

Consumer Frugality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumer Frugality - Essay Example According to a survey study conducted by Booz & Company on 2,000 consumers in the U.S., there is an emergence of frugal consumers. This is mainly because of the recent recession that has shaped their consumption behavior. It is expected that such consumption behavior will persist in the future even as there are reports that the U.S. is recovering from the recession (Zavestoski, 2002). Therefore, marketers have identified a market segment consisting of frugal consumers and are making efforts to attract such customers. The frugal consumer has unique characteristics including a strong consciousness on a value which determines the level of trade -off in price and convenience. Research studies on consumption patterns among U.S. consumers indicate that almost 67 percent of customers are purchasing low priced products in order to reduce spending while improving on saving (Craig-Lees & Hill, 2002). This is evident from the decrease in the Per capita consumption expenditure across almost all demographic groups. Additionally, customers have maintained a weak sentiment which has influenced their low expenditure on consumption. The target market segment of frugal consumers can be described using a number of demographic factors that define their unique features. The demographic factors include household income and age. First, the target market segment consisting of frugal consumers is made up of middle-income households. They have an annual income between $20,000 and $50,000 and are very mindful when it comes to spending their income. They are very selective and often plan in advance before going for shopping at discount stores rather than high-end stores. Second, the target market consists of individuals aged between 35 and 40 years. This is the age gap within which people have families, are in employment, and are working hard to save for their retirement. They are very keen with their spending habits and they always ensure that they are buying goods at low prices so that they can save a significant part of their income (Zavestoski, 2002). Third, the target market consists of home owners who have a high demand for household products to use in their homes. However, they are also very frugal and have a habit of shopping from discount stores. The multiple demographics of frugal consumers make it very difficult to market products. Discount retail shops including target, Costco, and Sam's Club have developed a number of marketing mixes in attracting frugal consumers. Let us recall that frugal consumers buy less and price conscious. Therefore it is evident that any marketing mix targeting frugal consumers should heavily rely on price. However, the other 3 P’s are equally important because they complement price. It is an obvious fact that consumers are becoming very frugal these days and that businesses need to differentiate their products in order to remain competitive (Craig-Lees & Hill, 2002). The frugal consumer is looking for products that will deliver the best value for their dollar. This implies that businesses need to provide the best value to its client in order to attract a significant number of frugal consumers. The most common marketing mix among companies targeting frugal customers is that there is always a price discount. This is mainly because such consumers a re very sensitive to changes in prices. A significant decrease in

United States Ambassador’s Speech to the United Nations Essay Example for Free

United States Ambassador’s Speech to the United Nations Essay Ladies and gentlemen and citizens of the world, my name is Susan Rice and I am honored to speak to you today. Our countries, which all embrace the United Nations’ quest for worldwide peace and stability, face many challenges that we can and must solve together. My nation, the United States of America, is prepared and determined to act constructively, responsibly and morally to contribute toward the realization of our shared goals. The United States of America has recently chosen a new and hopeful president who has bold, optimistic, and pragmatic ideas for his country and for our world. I am fortunate and privileged to have known and worked closely with Mr. Obama for the last several years, and I am honored that he nominated me for this post within this eminent organization. Working closely with all of you, I will strive to reflect and embody our country’s renewed principles of fairness, justice, respect for human rights, and love of freedom. Our individual homelands and our world as a whole face daunting challenges as we gather here today. Economic turmoil, security threats, political instability and human rights violations weigh on all our minds and on the minds of our respective countrymen. Let me assure each of you, and the people of your country by extension, that we are intent on charting a hopeful new path that will benefit us all. The United States is proud of our history of doing what’s right for our country and for the world of peace-loving nations as a whole. We believe that the vast majority of our actions over our more than 200 years have been just and beneficial for the free world. However, we know that our record is not perfect. Our new administration is committed to righting recent wrongs and working with our United Nations counterparts to face and conquer the issues and challenges that confront us today. I want to lay out some broad concerns and objectives that we believe must be addressed and confronted for the benefit of all our nations. Let me quote our United Nations charter. It â€Å"gives the Security Council primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security† (United Nations, 2009). As we all know, that objective is never easy to attain. As a permanent member of the Security Council, the United States holds a precious and weighty leadership role in helping to keep our world safe from those elements and regimes that plot every day against freedom and its enduring principles. We steadfastly and clearly say to those rogue elements that our nation and our allies cannot afford and will not allow your efforts to succeed. This body has the obligation and the ability to impose sanctions on those countries and factions that are intent on assailing peace and freedom. Within that framework for peace and worldwide security, the cessation of nuclear proliferation will continue to be an unyielding quest. We will strive to lower the number of nuclear weapons that exist across the world and we will tirelessly seek to thwart the development and deployment of nuclear warhead delivery systems. More specifically, let me address another security issue that threatens all our countries, directly or indirectly. Political instability is a major problem within many countries, particularly those who are engaged with us today, on their soil, in the fight against terrorism. Let me quote Mr. Obama directly as he engages our enemies of freedom. Our president stated yesterday â€Å"Let me be clear: Al-Qaida and its allies†¦are in Pakistan and Afghanistan and we have a clear and focused goal to disrupt, dismantle and defeat (them)† (C-Span, 2009). In that vein, let me also assure each of your nations that our country will not engage in cruel or tortuous practices on any of the combatants that we capture and detain. Let me close by stating that United States foreign policy goals are consistent and congruent with the stated goals of the United Nations. We are honored, one nation in a sea of many, to contribute to the well-being and security of our world. References C-SPAN. (2009, March 27). C-span. org. United Nations. (2009, March). un. org.