Depictions of Beauty in the Victorian Era :: British History Essays

Depictions of Beauty in the Victorian Era Missing Works Cited       "What is beauty anyway? There's no such thing." (Pablo Picasso) The Victorians' obsession with physical appearance has been well documented by scholars. This was a society in which one's clothing was an immediate indication of what one did for a living (and by extension, one's station in life). It was a world, as John Reed puts it, "where things were as they seemed" (312). So it is not surprising to find that the Victorians also placed great faith in bodily appearance. To the Victorians, a face and figure could reveal the inner thoughts and emotions of the individual as reliably as clothing indicated his occupation. There is abundant evidence of the pervasiveness of this belief in the literature of the period. According to Reed, "Victorian literature abounds with expressions of faith in physiognomy" (336). He quotes a passage from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre to prove the point: "Jane Eyre, for example, trusts her initial perception of Rochester, whose brow 'showed a solid enough mass of intellectual organs, but an abrupt deficiency where the suave sign of benevolence should have risen'" (146; ch. 14, Reed 336). In the Victorian novel, physical appearance was a primary means of characterization (Lefkovitz 1). A hero or heroine's beauty (or lack thereof) was probably the most important aspect of his or character. As Lefkovitz points out, beauty is always culturally defined. How then, did the Victorians define it? For women, that definition is a strange mixture of ideals. The Victorians admired both the strong, hearty, statuesque lady (modeled on Queen Victoria herself) and the weak, fainting beauty, who Lefkovitz uses the French word mourante to define: "dying, languishing, expiring, fainting, fading" (36). The former type was most popular in the first half of the century, according to Federico: A woman's body in the first decade of the century was . . . under considerable scrutiny, and the ideal against which she was measured was tall and statuesque, stately, elegant, refined . . . nothing is considered so outre [excessive] as a slender waist, while the en bon point is the ne plus ultra [utmost point; meaning a towering, powerful-looking woman] of feminine proportions. (30) Many writers embraced this strong, sculpted, large-bodied female type, if only to use her as a comparison to the more delicate beauty that became popular later. According to Lefkovitz, the two conventions meet (and clash) in George Eliot's Adam Bede: "Bessy Cranage .

Power :: essays research papers

When a person has enough power in a society, it gives them a lot of control over certain things. When they have this control, they can have ownership over a person or a thing. By naming someone, or something, a person gains an unspoken ownership over him or her, they are now in control of him or her and it has created a new identity for them and erased their old identity. Power, naming and un-naming, control and ownership and identity are very important elements in â€Å"Mary† and â€Å"No Name Woman†. Both essays deal with power, identity, control and ownership, while â€Å"Mary† focuses more on naming and â€Å"No Name Woman† focuses on un-naming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One’s power and position in a society can give them the â€Å"right† or ability to name or un-name a person. Someone can gain this right by his or her status socially, financially, and even racially. If it’s their own child, of course, they have every right in the world to name him or her. But in some cultures, as is evident in â€Å"No Name Woman†, they have the right to take away someone’s name if they have disgraced their family and/or community. A name is very significant because it gives a person a sense of who they are, an identity. In â€Å"No Name Woman†, Kingston’s aunt had no identity except for the story her mother told her and in â€Å"Mary† Marguerite’s new boss, Mrs. Cullinan changed her name to Mary which then, in a way, removed Marguerite’s original identity and gave her a new one, one she didn’t want.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By changing Marguerite’s name, Mrs. Cullinan proves how much power she has over a little black servant like Marguerite. A rich white member of the society, in which Marguerite grew up, has more power and control over things than someone of a poor background or a black background. Mrs. Cullinan wasn’t the first to incite the drastic change of Marguerite’s name, although she started it off by calling her Margaret, it was in fact, one of her friends who suggested that â€Å"the name’s too long. I’d never bother myself. I’d call her Mary if I was you.†(5) As if showing off to her friends, and proving that she really does have control and power over black people, she starts calling her Mary, much to Marguerite’s disgust. Marguerite soon learned that Mrs. Cullinan had changed Miss Glory’s name twenty years ago.

Minnesota Micromotors, Inc. Marketing Simulation Essay

As I get further and further along in this simulation, I have noticed that I am beginning to understand what it takes as a marketing manager in order to be successful. Careful considerations must be made to be sure that the right decisions benefit both Minnesota Micromotors, Inc., and our customers. Our success comes from our customers’ success and loyalty that they have with this company. In finding ways to incorporate the important factors that matter most to our customers is what will bring in new customers and keep our existing ones around for the long hall. My strategy for Minnesota Micromotors, Inc. that I have entered into the simulation game for 2015 Q2 were based on similar factors that I had used in the previous quarters. Like in prior quarters, I tend to base my decision strategy on the customers satisfaction of the overall product and pricing. I also find that it is important to base my decisions on the income statement from prior quarters as well to see where I co uld adjust things to work in my favor. I am still having issues discovering what needs to change in order to increase the weak areas and to find what is lacking to get this issue resolved. In 2015 Q2, I chose to change my sales force from 26% on Segments A and B down to 25% and increase Segments C and D from 24% to 25%. I think by giving all segments the same percentage may in fact even things out. I then made the decision to increase the power to size ratio from $47K up to $100K, and the thermal resistance feature from $48K up to $100K. In doing so, spending as much as $100K – $500K per year could result in both the power to size ratio and the thermal resistance after several years. I find this to be an important factor that can increase profitability for Minnesota Micromotors, Inc. in the future.

Current Market Research Report on Synthetic & Bio-Based Lubricants Market Essay

This study estimates and forecasts the demand for synthetic (mineral oils and chemical oils) and bio-based lubricants in the global market. Synthetic lubricants market has been segmented on the basis of various products including industrial, consumer automotive and commercial automotive lubricants. This segmentation has also been analyzed on a regional level, providing data for North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Bio-based lubricants market has been segmented on the basis of applications such as hydraulic oil, chainsaw oil, turbine oil, metal working oil and so on. Biolubricant demand has also been segmented on the basis of end-use industries such as commercial and consumer automotives. The study analyzes the entire lubricant industry from the demand perspective and market data for all segmentations is provided both in terms of volumes and revenues with forecast for the period from 2013 to 2018. Various synthetic lubricant products analyzed in this study include process oils, general industrial oils, hydraulic & transmission fluid, passenger vehicle engine & motor oil, metal working fluids, heavy-duty engine oil, gear oil and grease. Bio-based lubricants have also been analyzed from raw material perspective, with estimates for vegetable oil-based and animal oil based lubes. The bio-based lubricant market by applications can be mainly divided into automotive, hydraulic, process, demolding, chainsaw, compressor, turbine, industrial gear, metal working oils and lubricating greases. The economies covered in this report are North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (ROW). This report also includes Porters five forces model and the market share of major companies in 2011. A market attractiveness profile has also been provided for bio-based lubricants which would assist in product development and specifications. Some of the key players that deal in synthetic and bio-based lubricants include Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil, British Petroleum, Chevron, Castrol, Fuchs and Total. The top 20 market participants have been profiled in this study, including data such as recent developments, financial performance, and product lines and so on.

Parental Decisions Impact Childhood Obesity Essay

Society, in general, has drastically changed over the past century. Growth and expansion have paved the way for new technological advances, but not with some downfalls to go along with it. One such downfall of new technology would be the â€Å"convenience factor† (convenient stores for junk food, convenient to watch television, play video games, watch a movie, talk or text on a cellular phone as opposed to physical exercise, convenient for parents to stop by fast food as opposed to healthy meals). Lack of parental controls in these areas in conjunction with the â€Å"convenience factor† has lead to childhood obesity. This is an increasingly growing disease and will continue to be so if society does not stop being so convenient. The American Society today has become â€Å"obesogenic’, characterized by environments that promote increased food intake, unhealthy foods, and physical inactivity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). People (children and adults) spend more time in front of televisions or computers and less time exercising. We drive a car everywhere we go as opposed to walking or riding a bicycle. Children play more video games instead of playing hide and seek, which requires them to run around, being active and getting exercise. We lead busier lives so time does not allow for spending it in the kitchen preparing healthy meals. Parents live such hectic lifestyles which often lead to dining or getting take out at a fast food restaurant, making them guilty of contributing to childhood obesity. Children with obese parents are likely to follow in their parents footsteps and become obese themselves. Overweight and obesity result from an energy deficiency. This incorporates taking in too much food (too many calories) and lack of exercise; thus defining obesity. The imbalance between calories consumed and calories used can result from the influences and interactions of a number of factors, including genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. Studies indicate that certain genetic characteristics may increase an individual’s susceptibility to excess body weight. However, this genetic susceptibility may need to exist in conjunction with contributing environmental and behavioral factors (such as a high-calorie food supply and minimal physical activity) to have a significant effect on weight. Genetic factors alone can play a role in specific cases of obesity. The genetic characteristics of the human population have not changed in the last three decades, but the prevalence of obesity has tripled among school-aged children during that time. Because the factors that contribute to childhood obesity interact with each other, it is not possible to specify one behavior as the â€Å"cause† of obesity. Behaviors include energy intake, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Home, child care, school, and community environments can influence children’s behaviors related to food intake and physical activity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Parents in the workplace often lead demanding, hectic lifestyles that have a direct reflection on home life activities. Activities, such as eating habits for their children, are a casualty of their fast-paced environment. Such lifestyles lead to quick unhealthy meals, such as stopping at a fast-food establishment and consuming a high caloric meal. These types of meals are historically unhealthy with no nutritional value. Nutritional items, such as fruits and vegetables, are limited at these types of establishments. Healthy, home cooked meals are not the â€Å"normal† routine for parents to provide their children of this era. Time does not allow for parents to prepare healthy, home cooked meals. â€Å"The evidence is compelling that the obesity epidemic is largely caused by people’s eating unhealthy food and consuming bigger portion sizes. These unhealthy behaviors are not just a matter of poor decisions individuals make; rather, the environment in which people live determines behavioral choice† (Isaacs & Swarts, 2010). Parents’ workplace habits can directly affect their children’s daily eating routines. Children are relying on parents to provide them with healthy meals. There are many things parents can do to assist children in developing healthy eating habits. Offering fruits and vegetables, dairy products or whole grain items as nutritious snacks, as opposed to allowing them to submerge themselves in chips or sugar filled snacks, is a viable alternative to an unhealthy diet. The obesity rate for children would decrease if parents would make time to plan a healthy weekly menu. By doing so, parents are ensuring that their children get the daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in their diet, thus making for a healthier child. Parents should lead by example. Children need to see parents eating different things, to encourage the child to want to try new food items. â€Å"Children and adolescents are dependent on their parents for both economically and emotionally during much of this period of rapid growth† (Davies & Fitzgerald, 2008, pg. 25). One of the best ways to decrease obesity in children is to increase physical activity levels throughout the entire family. Parents, at home or at the workplace, are faced daily with busy schedules, long hours and time management issues (i. e. nsuring all required daily activities, such as household responsibilities, errands are completed). These tasks are direct contributors for the lack of time set aside for physical activity with their children. Also, parents’ daily work schedules do not allow much, if any, time to incorporate a daily physical exercise routine for their children, let alone to monitor such activities. Parents should act as role models by setting examples for their children, such as allowing their children to see them exercise and being active themselves. By â€Å"leading by example†, this should encourage children to emulate them. According to the American Heart Association and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (Payne, 2010), children should get at least 20 minutes of regular vigorous exercise that makes them sweat and breathe hard. With the apparent lack of physical activity, parents need to create an environment that is conducive to building a daily regime of physical activities that slowly grow over time. â€Å"Minutes spent playing kickball with friends during recess count toward the hour-long daily goal, as does climbing trees in the backyard after school. It doesn’t have to be all at once,’ says Nancy Brown, CEO of the AHA. ‘Kids should be doing things appropriate for their age, so that [exercise] becomes a behavior and a natural part of what they do’† (Payne, 2010). Providing just small increments of daily activity that is geared towards the child’s age category can foster a lifetime of behavioral changes that could prevent the onset of obesity at a later age. Another factor in the saga of fighting childhood obesity is the issue of safety and having a safe environment in which to add physical activity. Advocate for well-maintained, safe sidewalks and bike paths in your neighborhood, and volunteer to supervise the use of school facilities after hours. Children are more likely to want to play outside—and you’ll feel more comfortable with them doing it—if it’s safe, so attend neighborhood association or city council meetings to request proper upkeep of nearby sidewalks and paths. Also, consider gyms and tracks at local schools as options for physical activity after hours and on weekends. Often, schools are willing to make gyms and equipment available on the weekends but simply need parents to volunteer to supervise, Brown says† (Payne, 2010). This avenue of taking facilities that already exist and adding in a safety factor so that they may be used more often could reach into a vast majority of neighborhoods and schools that are currently excluding physical education programs. This seemingly mundane action by a few sets of determined parents could catch on and create new and exciting ways in which physical activities could be introduced to children. In today’s day and age of electronics, technological advances in this area continue to rise at record numbers. Features and upgrades to many electronic devices are geared toward a more convenient, user friendly target market. Such markets, unfortunately from a health perspective, are focused on our children. Convenient and satisfying methods of entertainment, such as television, movies, video games, talking/texting on cellular phones, computers, etc. far outweigh pure physical activity and exercise. Parents’ lack of control in these areas, as opposed to physical exercise, is a factor in childhood obesity. Children would rather be sedentary playing electronic games on a television, cellular phone or computer, as opposed to playing games requiring physical exercise, such as hide and seek or kickball . â€Å"The media may shape children’s food choices and caloric intake, including exposing children to persuasive messages about food, cuing them to eat, and depressing satiety cues of eating while viewing. According to estimates by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), children between 2 and 11 years are exposed to 25,600 advertisements per year, of which 5,500 (or 15 per day) are for food or beverages. A 2009 content analysis of foods advertised during children’s television programming revealed that most foods marketed to children are high in salt, sugar, and fat and low in nutritional value, and that healthy food are virtually invisible† (Jordan, 2010). This barrage of brain-altering subliminal messaging towards newly forming minds lends credence to how other areas of technology are creating pathways to enter impressionable youths. We live in a world that is technology driven in which new devices are created frequently to make life more convenient. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that television viewing by children older than two years be limited to two hours per day or less avoided altogether for children younger than two years. Surveys of United States parents found that most families do not adhere to these recommendations† (Jordan, 2010). These families that provide this amount of television viewing for their children use it as a virtual nanny to keep the child entertained and distracted throughout the day. In today’s health conscious society, there are many reasonable alternatives to just keeping a child zoned out in front of various electronic devices. One such alternative that is catching on with many families is the Nintendo Wii. â€Å"The AHA and Nintendo recently teamed up to promote the use of the Wii Fit to help Americans meet recommended physical activity guidelines. The goal of the partnership is to teach people how so-called ‘active-play’ video games encourage regular exercise. If you’re having a tough time getting your child to play outside, consider buying a video game that requires the child to get moving, Brown suggests† (Payne, 2010). The use of this new video game device has provided many families with not only an opportunity to exercise, but to also interact as a family unit. Interacting together provides an environment that can create future positive habits that might help in the obesity battle. Following recent studies on childhood obesity, it has been found that â€Å"In the United States, childhood obesity is on the rise; the percentage of obese children aged 6 to 11 more than doubled in the past two decades, while the percentage of obese adolescents aged 12 to 19 more than tripled, during the same period as well† (Li & Hooker, 2010). Medical contributors to childhood obesity, such as genetics and/or heredity, are considered uncontrollable and unchangeable to the health and well-being of a child. The imbalance between calories consumed and calories used can result from the influences and interactions of a number of factors, including genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. Studies indicate that certain genetic characteristics may increase an individual’s susceptibility to excess body weight. However, this genetic susceptibility may need to exist in conjunction with contributing environmental and behavioral factors (such as a high-calorie food supply and minimal physical activity) to have a significant effect on weight. Genetic factors alone can play a role in specific cases of obesity† (CDC, 2009). Battling all these convenience issues will prove to be a lengthy social problem to be solved, but for the sake of future generations of children that will probably be the first to not outlive their parents, it is one that should have the highest priority. Parents establishing controls over guidelines set forth and constant monitoring of such to decrease childhood obesity is not a â€Å"sprint†, but more comparable to a â€Å"marathon†. This requires lifestyle changes both for the parent and the child. Constant monitoring on the parent’s part, along with both parent and child â€Å"staying the course† now will produce dividends for the future of a healthy America. We are all creatures of habit. In the end, the goal should always be for these changes to become second nature. We live in a society driven by a constant; change. Growth and expansion will continue to generate new technological advances, with downfalls associated. One such downfall, the â€Å"convenience factor† (convenient stores for junk food, convenient to watch television, play video games, watch a movie, talk or text on a cellular phone as opposed to physical exercise, convenient for parents to stop by fast food as opposed to healthy meals) will have a direct correlation between parental decisions and the health of children for future generations. Lack of parental controls in these areas in conjunction with the â€Å"convenience factor† will produce childhood obesity cases at record numbers. This increasingly growing disease will continue to be so if society does not stop being so convenient.

Energy Consumption & Modernization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Energy Consumption & Modernization - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  peak load is the highest amount of power or electric value recorded at a particular period. Peak load values will be obtained when there is more demand on the electricity due to use of appliances. In this case peak load values in the student halls will be recorded during the early morning when the students will be preparing to go to class or any other activities they are involved in. The use of the instant heating showers, blow dryers, iron box coupled with the demand to ensure that the room is warm enough due to the morning cold, the amount of electricity in use instantaneously shoots up. Peak load can also be noticed in the evenings just when the students are coming back from their classes and other activities they have been engaging in during the day.  This research declares that  base load is the lowest average in energy consumption at a particular period when the consumption is steady.  Base load values will be obtained when there is les s demand on the electricity. In the students halls Base load values will be recorded during the day while most of the students will be away, because this brings down the overall consumption of energy although the values during the day might not be very reliab lebecause of the students left in the halls since the will still be consuming the electricity this may take out the steady aspect in the calculation of base load values.

Google Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Google - Essay Example This increase between the offer price and the open price is much greater than the increase for typical IPOs in 2004. Indeed, 82 percent of the IPOs issued in 2004 experienced less of a jump from the offer price to the open price than Google did, and the statistics were similar for IPOs issued prior to Google's debut and following Google's debut. The enormous post-auction price increase of Google, especially in the immediate weeks and months following its debut, when there were few substantive news releases on changes in company strategy and fundamentals, further suggests that the online auction method may not have priced Google efficiently. Google subsequently soared in the following months to a high of $317.80 on July 21, 2005. As of June 29, 2005, Google had exhibited price appreciation of 186.8 percent, relative to its open price. Critics of Google's IPO initially argued that the auction was a failure because Google slashed the number of shares that it would sell at public auction from 25.7 million to 19.6 million shares. Also, it dropped the target price range from the $108-to-$135 range projected in late July to the $85-to-$95 price range (Knight Ridder, August 19, 2004). At the time, many analysts suggested that the earlier Google price range had been overpriced; yet, Google's closing price reached the lower end of that price range after 18 days of trading and reached the higher end of that price range after 32 days of trading. The lessening interest in Google at the time that it reduced the price range during the summer was possibly due to some combination of the following factors: - The lack of information provided by the company during the process about its uses of capital - A slump in price appreciation for June IPOs - Reservations on the part of investors about the use of the online process. Who benefited from Google's price appreciation Under the traditional process, the preferred clients of the underwriting investment banks can benefit from the initial IPO underpricing and subsequent price appreciation since they have the initial allocations. In the case of Google, the beneficiaries in the price appreciation have been: 1. those investors who bought Google when it first began trading and held it until the price increased substantially and 2. the Google co-founders and the chief executive, as well as the venture capital firm involved in financing Google, who were allocated shares early in the process, but who could not sell them until the "lock-up period" expired. "Google announced in its IPO prospectus that it wouldn't provide traditional earnings guidance. While it took this stance to avoid short-term thinking, the move also likely left Google's directors knowing more about company prospects than other investors. The third quarter, which Google was in at the time, proved to be one of spectacular growth." (Delaney, September 2005) By July 2005, the CEO Eric Schmidt and the company founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page had sold $1.7 billion in stock, other executives had sold more than $800 million in stock, and no open market purchases had been recorded. Indeed, Page and Brin have sold 3.7 million and 3.8 million shares, respectively, or roughly 400,000 shares per month, while Schmidt had sold 1.3 million