What do you find interesting about the way Shakespeare presents the opening scene in King Lear to the audience Essay Example For Students

What do you find intriguing about the manner in which Shakespeare presents the initial scene in King Lear to the crowd? Exposition I think that its intriguing the way that Shakespeare shows that there are various sides to each characters character, so the crowd is uncertain of who to put their compassion for. How individuals are alluded to as resembling objects all through this scene is likewise intriguing. I additionally think that its fascinating the way that Cordelia is introduced as being not exactly so flawless towards the finish of the scene as Lear might suspect she is toward the beginning of the scene. This could recommend to the crowd that Cordelia has never given her actual sentiments before this scene. Lear is introduced by Shakespere as being very old and perhaps losing his better judgment, and it is fascinating the way that Regan and Gonerill appear to plot against him which could move the crowds compassion towards Lear. We will compose a custom article on What do you find fascinating about the manner in which Shakespeare presents the initial scene in King Lear to the crowd? explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now The manner in which Shakespeare presents Gonerill as having different sides to her is intriguing. At the point when she gives her discourse, Gonerill puts forth a gigantic attempt to persuade Lear that she cherishes him most, I love you beyond what word can use the issue, Beyond all way, these words propose her affection goes farther than she can say. She could likewise be attempting to infer that she adores Lear past her two sisters. Anyway her demeanor towards Lear changes when she is addressing Regan in the last piece of the scene, If our dad convey authority, the word if proposes that Gonerill doesn't regard her dad, and that she or others don't really belive he conveys authority any more. I likewise discover the way Burgundys demeanor toward Cordelia drastically changes when he discovers that she no longer has any cash intriguing. When he thinks she despite everything has cash, Burgundy says I hunger for close to hath your Greatness offered nor will you delicate less? the word long for recommends that Burgundy is voracious and he is continually wanting cash, or it could propose an dependence on cash. The words your Majesty could propose to the crowd that Burgundy is in every case extremely neighborly to Lear to get more cash. Where Burgundy says Nor will you delicate less? could recommend that Burgundy has speculated that something isn't right and he is getting stressed. At the point when Burgundy discovers that Cordelia has no cash, he says, Pardon me, illustrious sir Election makes not upon such conditions. The Pardon me, regal sir once more recommends that Burgundy wouldn't like to drop out of Lears favor. The respite in the middle of Pardon me and regal sir could propose that Burgundy is cross that Lear won't give him any cash and he is going to state something, however then he reexamined his position and chose to be well mannered. The word political race could recommend that Burgundy is just wedding Cordelia for the cash, as it is an unromantic method to depict getting hitched. Additionally the words such conditions could recommend that Burgundy can not in any event, force himself to state what has occurred. Thisâ shows the crowd that Burgundy has different sides to him as it proposes that he just needed to wed Cordelia for cash, which could cause the crowd to lose any compassion they had for him, as when you wed somebody you should adore them. Anyway it could cause the crowd to feel sorry for him as possibly he simply needs some land with the goal that he can accommodate Cordelia. Anyway Shakespeare causes it exceptionally difficult for the crowd to feel like this as Cordelia says since that regard and fortunes are his affection which proposes that Burgundy just loves cash. It could likewise propose that Burgundy feels he would not be regarded on the off chance that he wedded Cordelia without increasing any land. It could likewise recommend that Burgundy would lose the regard of Lear on the off chance that he wedded Cordelia. .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc , .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc .postImageUrl , .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc .focused content territory { min-stature: 80px; position: relative; } .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc , .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc:hover , .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc:visited , .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc:active { border:0!important; } .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc .clearfix:after { content: ; show: table; clear: both; } .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc { show: square; change: foundation shading 250ms; webkit-progress: foundation shading 250ms; width: 100%; haziness: 1; progress: murkiness 250ms; webkit-change: darkness 250ms; foundation shading: #95A5A6; } .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc:active , .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc:hover { mistiness: 1; change: obscurity 250ms; webkit-progress: murkiness 250ms; foundation shading: #2C3E50; } .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc .focused content region { width: 100%; position: rela tive; } .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc .ctaText { fringe base: 0 strong #fff; shading: #2980B9; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: striking; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; text-enrichment: underline; } .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc .postTitle { shading: #FFFFFF; text dimension: 16px; text style weight: 600; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; width: 100%; } .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc .ctaButton { foundation shading: #7F8C8D!important; shading: #2980B9; outskirt: none; fringe range: 3px; box-shadow: none; text dimension: 14px; text style weight: intense; line-tallness: 26px; moz-fringe sweep: 3px; text-adjust: focus; text-enhancement: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-stature: 80px; foundation: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/modules/intelly-related-posts/resources/pictures/basic arrow.png)no-rehash; position: supreme; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc:hover .ctaButton { foundation shading: #34495E!important; } .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181 510dc .focused content { show: table; stature: 80px; cushioning left: 18px; top: 0; } .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc-content { show: table-cell; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; cushioning right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-adjust: center; width: 100%; } .u6bba02fc4e25d25b02d7e84e181510dc:after { content: ; show: square; clear: both; } READ: Macbeth scenes examination EssayThe way that individuals all through this scene are depicted as articles is intriguing as it raises the issue of significant worth and how the individuals in the play are viewed as material belongings to Lear, which could cause the crowd to lose their compassion towards him. It could likewise make them wonder if Lear is possibly doing this since he is developing old or on the off chance that he has consistently been this way. A case of this is when Lear says that Cordelias cost has fallen which proposes that he considers everybody regarding the amount they are worth to him. Likewise where he says Shes there, and she is yours sounds like he is disavowing her as though she is an article. The expression she is yours makes its sound like he doesnt need her any longer, there is no sign that he has any issue releasing her. The words are likewise reminiscent of somebody discarding a thing as opposed to an individual. The word is could practically solid like Lear is compelling Cordelia upon Burgundy. Likewise the expression Shes there is weird since it seems like Lear imagines that Burgundy probably won't have seen her. It could likewise propose that Lear is stating that that is all she is and nothing else will accompany her. The impact this has on the crowd is changed. It could make them wonder if Lear is possibly repudiating Cordelia as though she were an article since he isnt in his correct brain, or whether he genuinely would not joke about this. It could likewise cause them to feel sorry for Lear in light of the fact that the way that he is renouncing Cordelia as though she were an item recommends that she truly hurt Lear. Anyway it isnt just Lear who portrays Cordelia as an article, France likewise depicts her as an item when he says That she whom even yet now was your best article. This could recommend to the crowd that everybody in the play considers individuals to be being objects, he likewise says Thee and thy ethics here I take advantage of. The word hold onto seems like he is seizing and item before another person takes it. This could make the crowd wonderâ if France is like Lear in any capacity. I discover the way that Shakespeare indications towards the finish of the scene that Cordelia isn't the ideal girl Lear thought she was fascinating. It could be proposed to the crowd that Cordelia has never given her actual sentiments this. This could be recommended when she says Time will unfurl what plighted tricky covers up; Here Cordelia could be proposing that in time every obvious getting a handle on come. This could propose to the crowd that she has consistently felt like this yet has never indicated it. When Cordelia depicts her sisters as The gems of our dad it could again be proposing to the crowd the possibility that everybody in this play is esteemed distinctly as an article. The word gem proposes high worth. The expressions of our dad could recommend that they her sisters currently have a place with her dad like items. I discover how Lear is introduced as conceivably losing his better judgment fascinating as even in the primary scene it is suggested to the crowd that Lear is going to commit a colossal error. It might likewise cause them to feel sorry for him later in the play when Gonerill and Regan turn on him. In the last lines of this scene when Gonerill and Regan are conversing with one another the crowd is indicated that Gonerill and Regan know that Lear might be losing his better judgment and they are considering what to do, Such unconstant begins are we like to have from him as this of Kents expulsion. The words unconstant begins propose that Lear has been unconstant in his judgment. The words as this of could recommend to the crowd that Kents expulsion is only one case of the terrible judgment that Lear has made, proposing that Lear has been feeling the impacts old enough for some time. .uc789ca8d118f9015490c757ef1bb9f22 , .uc789ca8d118f9015490c757ef1bb9f22 .postImageUrl , .uc789ca8d118f9015

Lord of the Flies Theme Analysis Essay Example

Master of the Flies Theme Analysis Essay William Golding makes a general public that is destined to come up short since it does not have the principles that are vital for its endurance. At the point when left to their own gadgets, the young men demonstrate that human instinct must be harnessed or it will turn calamitous. William Golding accepts that all out and complete opportunity presents a peril to any general public. The utilization of hinting in the composition, Jack’s inside clashes and Ralph’s acknowledge about mankind caution the peruser that the individuals in a general public can't be totally free or the general public will fall. William Golding shows how insecure a general public without rules is by foreshowing a deplorable end to the general public in the piece of the novel. In the initial scarcely any pages of the novel when the young men are choosing a pioneer, they think about Jack and Ralph noticing that â€Å"while the most clear pioneer was Jack†¦ there was a tranquility about Ralph† (21) that makes them pick him as their pioneer. By contrasting the two young men, the creator is portending a future clash among them, and Jack’s inevitable ascent to control. The creator additionally utilizes distinctive symbolism and embodiment to represent their powerlessness to control certain parts of their general public. We will compose a custom article test on Lord of the Flies Theme Analysis explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom exposition test on Lord of the Flies Theme Analysis explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom article test on Lord of the Flies Theme Analysis explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer He represents haziness, clarifying how it â€Å"pour[s] out and submerge[s] between the trees†(31) making the woodland as â€Å"strange as the base of the sea†(31). By contrasting their condition with the base of the ocean, a spot where people can't make due for long, the creator is portending a conclusion to their general public. What's more, in light of the fact that the young men can't stop the murkiness, the creator is representing that there are parts of their general public that are out of their control. The creator additionally utilizes in the work when he has Jack wound a blade into a tree trunk. Jack, disappointed at not killing a pig, â€Å"snatch[es] his blade out of the sheath and slam[s] it into a tree trunk†(29) and pledges that â€Å"next time there would be no mercy†(29). Jack shows at an early stage in the novel that he needs things done his direction, and the viciousness with the blade demonstrates that he will take the necessary steps to get his direction. Jack is a key character all through the book, and the advancement of his character is one way that the writer communicates the subject. The creator utilizes Jack’s developing changes and inside clashes to feature the society’s decrease into bestial conduct. In the composition of the novel, Jack, keen on having rules in their general public, â€Å"cry[s] excitedly†¦ â€Å"We’ll have rules! Bunches of rules! At that point when anybody breaks ‘em-â€Å"(31). The creator demonstrates that Jack needs to be in control, and that he initially needs for there to be rules, with the goal that they can get away from the island. In the wake of living without grown-ups for some time, be that as it may, Jack quits agonizing over being safeguarded. Truth be told, when Ralph makes reference to being safeguarded â€Å"Jack ha[s] to think for a second before he [can] recall what salvage [is]†(49) and he returns to discussing how he needs to kill a pig. Jack realizes that murdering the pig will give him a sentiment of intensity that he wants frantically, and it makes him significantly progressively barbaric. Jack inevitably drives a portion of the young men from Ralph and isolates himself further by painting his face, and requesting that he be named their Chief. At the point when one of the young men asks him an inquiry, â€Å"The Chief’s redden [is] covered up by the white and red clay†(147). By utilizing the earth to conceal his face, Jack is making himself safe and difficult to reach, separating himself from the others. The last way that the creator demonstrates the subject is with Ralph’s acknowledge about humankind. Golding utilizes Ralph’s contemplations and sentiments towards the finish of the book to show the importance of the novel. When Ralph takes a gander at himself and different young men and perceives how grimy they are, and how little that influences him, he understands â€Å"with a little fall of the heart that these were the conditions he took as typical now and that he didn't mind†(100). The way that he no longer cares that the young men are changing shows that he realizes that he can't control it. Another model would be that subsequent to assisting with murdering Simon, Ralph doesn't deny what he did, yet rather says â€Å"I wasn’t terrified, I was-I don’t realize that I was†(142). Ralph recognizes that he and the others young men are changing to where they don’t even perceive themselves any longer. In conclusion, Ralph, chased by different young men, â€Å"feel[s] the purpose of his lance with his thumb grin[ing] without amusement†(175). Ralph doesn’t need to hurt the young men, however he realizes that he will do what he needs to so as to ensure himself. He went from being the person who needed request in their general public to somebody who needs to stow away for his own wellbeing. Golding builds up the subject that all out and complete opportunity presents a peril to a general public all through the entire novel. He utilized hinting in the piece to show that the general public would fizzle. He likewise indicated Jack’s go wrong to represent the general public was an entire evolving. In conclusion, he utilized Ralph to communicate his perspectives on mankind. Golding utilized this novel as a notice to people in the future that an excessive amount of opportunity can, indeed, be terrible. He accepts that it is human instinct to need to be on top, and that people will do what is important to arrive. Golding considers rules to be the one thing that shields people from their own viciousness. Works Cited Golding, William. Ruler of the Flies. US of America: Putnam, 1954.

The Validity of Knowledge Free Essays

Lia Thompson Mr. Faria HZT 4U1 Wednesday January 18, 2012 The Validity of Knowledge This paper will clarify the legitimacy of John Locke’s Theory of Knowledge. Epistemology has been the subject of conversation for some rationalists throughout the hundreds of years. We will compose a custom paper test on The Validity of Knowledge or on the other hand any comparable point just for you Request Now The investigation of information is significant in light of the fact that as people, it is important to comprehend where the reason for our insight starts. Locke, in the same way as other scholars accepted that all information about the world is gotten from tactile discernments. Empiricists, for example, Locke accept this â€Å"posteriori† perspective on information. He clarifies in his hypothesis that we are brought into the world with â€Å"blank slates† or Tabula Rasa, the term utilized in Locke’s hypothesis in his composition, â€Å"An Essay Concerning Human Understanding† (Locke 163). Philosophical contentions are as shifted as the rationalists who build them. For every hypothesis, there is a contradicting view. Pragmatists, for example, Rene Descartes would contend against Locke and his empiricist perspective on information, accepting information to be natural. Descartes accepted that all people are intrinsically brought into the world with these certainties without the guide of our faculties as contended in his first, second and third Meditations (Descartes 3). Locke’s hypothesis conflicts with Descartes sees as well as Plato’s too. Be that as it may, Despite the contentions against Locke’s empiricist see, he is generally sensible. I concur with John Locke’s hypothesis of tactile recognition since we would not have the option to make due without our faculties. John Locke was conceived on August 29, 1632 out of a town in Somerset, England (John Locke-Biography). He composed a few significant works that have had a major effect on today’s perspective on the world, however his significant hypothesis on information was in his book, â€Å"An Essay Concerning Human Understanding†, where he illustrated his perspectives just as contended against rationalist’s see on natural information. He composed his book dependent on his conviction that genuine information is increased through understanding, â€Å"a posteriori† (Velasquez 330). â€Å"Locke holds that the brain is a clean slate or clear sheet until involvement with the type of sensation and reflection give the essential materials †straightforward thoughts †out of which a large portion of our increasingly unpredictable information is constructed† (Uzgalis). Reflection and tactile encounters go connected at the hip in light of the fact that all together for our faculties to be utilized, we should encounter our general surroundings. When we have encountered, for instance the sweet taste of an apple, from eating it, we can ponder what our faculties had the option to build up about it and increase certainties about what we encountered. â€Å"Reason is our keenness, our capacity to think and make decisions dependent on our tactile experience† (Locke 59). Locke agrees that we as people have reason however our faculties are matched up with reason, as we are to reason what our faculties are encountering. Locke made the hypothesis of â€Å"Primary and Secondary Qualities† to clarify his thoughts regarding the contrasts between our impression of the world and what the world truly is. In view of logical research, people know that not all that we see is equivalent to how other living animals see it. Creatures in contrast with people may encounter indistinguishable things from people do, however the manner in which they are seen can be very surprising. For instance, it is experimentally demonstrated that pooches can't find in shading, so to them everything is clearly. Canines despite everything utilize their sight, however can't see a similar shading people can. Essential Qualities are quantifiable characteristics by size, weight, shape and so forth and will remain the equivalent paying little mind to our recognition. Optional Qualities are the concealed forces an article has that can deliver in us a tactile encounter, for example, the shading we find in the sky. (Velasquez 333) We can comprehend his hypothesis on Primary and Secondary Qualities since researchers are capable through research to consider other living things and their view of faculties. Locke’s hypotheses are an unmistakable clarification to the numerous things we experience as people. Descartes was conceived on March 31st, 1596 in Touraine. Subsequent to completing school in 1612, it left him feeling agitated and disappointed. He wanted to travel, so he could find new environmental factors and he joined the military at seventeen years old. He was looking for finding more truth than he had found at school. Descartes lived in a period of extraordinary vulnerability concerning what truth was, and what it wasn’t. There were new logical disclosures being made which were incredible around then, just as the new protestant part of Christianity that conflicted with the old conventional strict convictions. With everything around Descartes transforming, he started to question all his earlier information (Velasquez 320). Descartes started to look for genuine information, which was the start of Descartes’ first reflection on Doubt. He scrutinized the possibility that we may all be uninformed of our perspective; would we say we are dreaming, or would we say we are conscious? Descartes inferred that there are no approaches to tell whether we are conscious or dreaming. So where did this thought originate from? He proceeded to state that there must be something of a higher force misdirecting him, a â€Å"evil genius† of misleading nature making this dream for all to become involved with. Descartes contemplated that, if this were the situation, we couldn’t trust our faculties at all on the grounds that our faculties are figments. With this mentality, Descartes accepted that the main fundamental certainties are those that can't be questioned. The irrefutable truth he found was â€Å"I think, in this way I am† which he contemplated that regardless of whether he was being beguiled about everything else, he was unable to be misdirected that he was thinking he was tricked, in this manner he exists† (Velasquez 321). With the goal for Descartes to preclude tangible discernments, he would need to depend on another reason for our insight. I n light of his internal reflection, he accepted that information isn't found out, thoughts are available in the psyche during childbirth. â€Å"We have from the earlier information †we are brought into the world with information and facts without the guide of sense perceptions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Velasquez 324). Descartes would contend against Locke’s tangible recognitions hypothesis in light of the fact that to Descartes, our faculties are invalid. In Descartes† second contemplation, he utilizes a case of a bit of wax to refute our faculties. â€Å"Let us take, for instance this bit of wax: it has been taken newly from the hive, and it has not yet lost its pleasantness of the nectar which it contains; it despite everything holds fairly the smell of the blossoms from which it has been separated; its shading, its figure, its size are clear; it is hard, cool, handily dealt with, and in the event that you hit it with a finger, it will produce a sound† (Descartes 190-191). Here Descartes clarifies, in each regard every single physical part of the wax that is knowledgeable about our faculties. â€Å"But notice that while I talk and approach the fire what survived from the taste is breathed out, the smell dissipated, the shading modifies, the figure is demolished, the size builds, it gets fluid, it warms, barely one can deal with it, and when one strikes it, no stable is emitted†¦What then did I know so unmistakably of this bit of wax? It could positively be nothing of all that the faculties brought to my notification, since all hese things which fall under taste, smell, sight, contact, and hearing, are seen as changed, but a similar wax remains†¦ it is mind alone which perceives†¦this bit of wax† (Descartes 190-191). Descartes clarifies that on the grounds that the wax can change, leaving us with various sense observations than previously, it can't be trusted as information. Descartes couldn't get a handle on Locke’s ideas o f tactile encounters and in this way dismisses everything except for the information we are naturally brought into the world with. Despite the fact that Descartes gives a satisfactory hypothesis, his perspectives don't face Locke and different philosopher’s reactions. To Locke, Descartes’ entire contention on natural information and the thoughts behind his reflections are feeble, not just invalid due to their restricting perspectives on how people accomplish information, yet invalid with respect to his thinking behind his speculations. There are numerous things to call attention to about Descartes, in light of Locke’s thoughts. Locke comprehended the thoughts of natural information, however differ in light of the fact that he accepts we are an excessive amount of a piece of this world to question its reality. On the off chance that intrinsic information were the main genuine approach to have information, individuals would not be having contentions of what is correct and what's up. â€Å"[Descartes thoughts of uncertainty are invalid] on the grounds that there are none to which all humankind give an all inclusive assent† (Uzgalis). Descartes’ clarification of presence of things expresses that since Descartes can think, and on the grounds that reasoning things exist, Descartes in this manner exists. Be that as it may, this contention is invalid since this is equivalent to stating, â€Å"I am strolling, thus I am the strolling. The writer, William Benton in the book, â€Å"Descartes/Spinoza† questioned Descartes’ second reflection on question by saying, â€Å"this is a supposition on Descartes part to state what one comprehends is a similar exercise of understanding†¦for the substance of getting itself, is a certain something and the quintessence is another † (Benton 135). This relates back to Descartes invalid contention since Descartes barrier can be rehashed as a case that he is thought. One may think, yet can never be the â€Å"entity† or the genuine activity of reasoning. All of Descartes reflections on information encompass the principle thought of natural information and thought, â€Å"but whence comes our insight into this recommendation, I think? †¦ we can't consider jumping, aside from that which jumps, of knowing apa

Negotiating Globally Coursework - 1375 Words

Negotiating Globally (Coursework Sample) Content: Business Negotiations in the Global Context: A Case Study of Telsim of TurkeyMohammed AlhajriPotomac UniversityMGMT 424 DATE \@ "MMMM d, yyyy" September 9, 2014Instructor: James BookerNegotiating Globally: Nokia and Motorola versus TelsimThe Fundamental and Strategic Negotiation Mistakes that Motorola Committed Fundamental MistakesThe fundamental negotiation mistake that Motorola made is its failure to identify a reliable dispute resolution mechanism in the event Telsim defaulted on the loan payment. The choice of an arbitrator was desirable in as much as it helped to avoid bias in Turkish courts. This is especially so considering that the Uzan family, the owners of Telsim, had connections in high places and political influence. However, the choice of Switzerland as the country where arbitration would take was disadvantageous to Motorola because the decision of the arbiters would not carry as much authority as a legal process. In this case, Motorla made a fundament al mistake in failing to identify a third party with the authority to impose a settlement on the disputants (Brett, 2012, p. 122). In contrast, litigation could have been more effective because of the legal authority of courts to make binding judgments.Another mistake that Motorola made was its failure to carry out a background check on Telsims previous deals. Such an investigation would have enabled Motorola to come to the negotiation table with useful information not only regarding the financial state of Telsim and its debt burden to other lenders, such as Nokia, but equally important, of Telsims integrity and commitment to fulfill its promises. Establishing the integrity of a potential business partner is important when arbitration is the intended mechanism for dispute resolution because when either party breaches a contract, the rules of evidence are not strictly applied (Brett, 2012, p. 125). Therefore, getting information about Telsims past deals would have helped Motorola det ermine whether Telsim was in a position to pay the loans, and whether it would put the money into the agreed projects considering that it (Telsim) and a similar arrangement with Nokia. Finally, Motorola failed to take into account the nature of business practices, such as the level of corruption, in Turkey. Being aware of the level of corruption could have enabled Motorola to put in place measure that could have guaranteed that its investment was safe. For instance, the company could have anticipated the possibility of Telsim illegally diluting Motorolas shares to its advantage. The fact that Telsim was able to do so without Motorolas knowledge or following the right procedures for issuance of shares suggests that it was possible to bribe some shareholders to pass questionable resolutions. Basically, therefore, Motorola failed to know the kind of client or business partner it was dealing with in terms of the business environment in which it (Telsim) operates, it financial status, as well as existing contracts similar to the one Motorola was bringing into the table. Strategic MistakesWith regards to strategic mistakes in the investment, Motorola failed to demand a role in the decision making process considering that its share holding of 66 percent made it the majority shareholder (Mikko Rieger, 2005). Accordingly, Motorola should have demanded to have representation on the board of directors in proportion to its shares. Such a representation could have kept the company informed of any proceedings that could have affected its equity negatively. Still, even if Motorola got representation on the board of directors, it could have been more convenient for the company to have its people involved in Telsims day-to-day business activities to monitor any illegal or fraudulent financial dealings. This is reasonable considering that the Turkish governments representative on Imar Bank, also owned by the Uzan family, was kept in the dark about the banks financial situation , and therefore failed to report about it to the relevant authorities. Considering that Motorolas partnership with Telsim was its first venture in the Turkish market, it could have been convenient and strategically sound for the company to have local representatives to manage its interests. Local representatives could have been desirable not only because of their knowledge of how business dealings are carried out in the Turkey, but most important, their knowledge of Telsims reputation, financial performance and ties with other businesses owned by the Uzan family. This arrangement could have helped Motorola to learn of any behind-the scenes moves by Telsims owners to issue shares illegally. For example, Motorola failed to know about the illegal issuance of shares because the announcement was made through a local media. A local representative could have possibly learned of it and alerted Motorola to block the process. Finally, Motorola should have included a clause in the negotiation that prohibited any dealing on Telsim issues unless it is agreed and jointly announced by both parties. Negotiation strategies involve the strategic choices that negotiators include in a contract, as well as how they act and react at the negotiation table (Brett, 2012). Motorolas failure to include a clause that prohibited Telsim from manipulating the shares in any way without the consent of both parties was therefore a big strategic mistake. This arrangement could have made the Uzan familys issuance of shares null, and therefore avoid the dilution of the share held by Motorola. The Reasons Why the Turkish Government Shared the Funds Generated form Sale of Telsims Assets Even after Nokia and Motorola and Written off their LossesThe decision by the Turkish government to share the funds generated through the sale of Telsims assets with Nokia and Motorola despite the latters having written off their losses was a strategic move intended to boost Turkeys international image as an investm ent destination as well as boost its chances of being accepted into the European Economic Commission (Mikko Rieger, 2005). The Turkish government, with its weak and unstable economy, must have realized that foreign investment would play a big role in strengthening the local economy. Accordingly, it was necessary to send the right message to potential foreign investors regarding the safety of their investment. The decision to refund Nokia and Motorola signaled that the Turkish government was determined to protect the interests of foreign investors. Most often, investors are reluctant to invest in a country where corruption is high, and in situations where they risk losing their money. At the time, Turkey ranked poorly in the corruption index, and the government was keen to show the international business community that it was committed to providing a safe bus...

Essay on Atticus Finch - 863 Words

It is widely believed that Atticus Finch is one of the greatest heroes of modern literature. My opinion varies greatly with this remark. Atticus Finch is not a hero because he only had greater morals than the people of his time, he wanted to be a good role model for his children, and was only doing his job as a lawyer. It was his responsibility to defend Tom Robinson and give him an honest trial. He may have done things out of the way, but that was just to demonstrate his point. Atticus also never did anything for the benefit of other people. He only put himself in danger to prove his point. One of the leading reasons to think that Atticus Finch is not a hero is because he was merely doing his job. His job as a lawyer was to defend Tom†¦show more content†¦Many everyday heroes such as firefighters and doctors save lives everyday. It is their job to save the lives of people. Atticus Finchs job is not to save lives, only to provide a fair trial. Other heroes such as Superman a re constantly putting themselves in danger to protect the lives of people. Atticus put himself in danger once to prove his point. He didnt even need to put himself in danger. It was not necessary for his cause to put himself in danger, he only wanted to protect Tom, which someone else could have done. It was not his job to protect Tom, only to represent him. Atticus may have taken the case because of Scout and Jem. He wanted to be a good role model for his children so they would look up to him and follow in his footsteps. He wanted to set a good example for Scout and Jem and teach them to stand up for what is right. He wanted his children to go against racial prejudice and follow what they believe. You can prove this because in the book, Atticus tells Scout to view everybody as equals. He even has Walter Cunningham over for dinner so he can prove this. He believes that everybody should properly represented. Talmage Boston states in his selection of the Texas bar journal from June, 2 010 that Atticus â€Å"recognizes that a lawyer has a responsibility to serve those who cant afford to pay.† (Boston, 485) It may be argued that Atticus is a hero because he defended Tom Robinson and went against many other people in the city. AShow MoreRelatedAtticus Finch s Moral Teachings1183 Words   |  5 PagesAs Harper Lee indirectly characterizes him, Atticus Finch is a man of prevalent intelligence, serene wisdom, progressive politics, and admirable behavior. He guides his children with these qualities as they face the harsh realities of racism in the people they have grown to know and trust. When Atticus gives Scout crucial moral advice concerning her fellow classmates, he tells her, â€Å"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view †¦ until you climb into his skinRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch And Bob Ewell1180 Words   |  5 PagesMockingbird, by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell are opposites when it comes to loving their children, their level of intelligence, and their morals. Firstly, to hurt an innocent child is evil. Someone who understood that this is a sin was Atticus. Atticus loved Jem and Scout too much to ever harm them. For example, when Atticus spoke with Aunt Alexandra and Uncle Jack about raising children, Aunt Alexandra said that Atticus had never laid a hand on [Scout] (Lee 116). Atticus then replied by confirmingRead MoreKill A Mocking Bird By Atticus Finch1974 Words   |  8 Pagesthrough their contact with family members and other people outside the home within their community. Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird, we follow Atticus Finch’s children as they learn important life lessons and later see them start to use these lessons as they grow and mature. The children in the novel were witness to many acts of courage not only through their father, Atticus, but other close supporting members of their family and community. In addition to courage, the children also learn about the importanceRead MoreThe Real Struggle of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee760 Words   |  4 PagesKing battled. Atticus Finch is the only one in the small town of Maycomb willing to admit an african american might not actually be to blame. It was Atticus and Tom Roberson against Maycomb. Throughout Atticus’ interaction with the people of Maycomb he shows people the truth about equality and helped with racism. In the end we learn that it takes courage and a hard shell to beat racism, and breaking down a barrier of society can put a lot of struggle and challenge on one person. Atticus shows us manyRead MorePersonality Review : Atticus Finch From Harper Lee s Kill A Mockingbird1265 Words   |  6 PagesPersonality Review Essay: Atticus Finch from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird What do you think when you picture a good leader? Do you picture someone who possesses integrity, loyalty, and knowledge or someone who is strong, loud and powerful? Leaders can have many different qualities and still be successful, respected, and admired. There are some leaders who are in total control, they tell a group of people what to do and people follow orders. Others may be focused more on morals, they teachRead MoreAtticus Finch1612 Words   |  7 PagesHow would you describe that person? That person that gave you hope, that person that helped you. They would be a hero. Atticus Finch is a hero, his job was to defend Tom Robbinson, yet he went above that, he did things that were not required. He helped Tom, not based on the color of his skin, but by the nature of his personality. That alone constitues him to be a hero. Atticus Finch was a hero, because he had the courage to defend someone helpless in a society full of racism and prejudice.There areRead More Atticus Finch Es says774 Words   |  4 PagesAtticus Finch Character Analysis on Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird Abraham Lincoln once said, â€Å"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.† Atticus Finch, a character in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, must keep this quote in his mind day by day. Atticus is a lawyer who was born and raised in Maycomb County. He still lives there with his children, Jeremy (also known as Jem) and Jean Louise (also known as Scout). His sister Alexandra lives with him, and a NegroRead MoreAtticus Finch Discrimination1281 Words   |  6 Pagesof life or how they act, someone always pick up on it and calls them out. Atticus Finch is old compared to the rest of the parents of students at Scouts school, keeping him from activities like the Methodists vs Baptists football game. Boo Radley, making poor decisions as a teenager, is confined to his house twentyfour-seven and never is seen by anyone other than his brother. Even the main character herself, Scout Finch, is discriminated against due to her wardrobe choices, her preference t o certainRead MoreThe Morality Of Atticus Finch2094 Words   |  9 PagesThe Morality of Atticus Finch In recent literary history, perhaps the strongest contender for the one character that has had the greatest influence on a generation is Atticus Finch, father of the protagonist in â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird†. Both as a father, and a lawyer, he has served, and still today serves as a pillar of righteousness and morality. The ability for his morality to translate to all people, across ages, races, and cultures, is a feat preformed by Harper Lee in her masterpiece, â€Å"To KillRead MoreAtticus Finch Personality766 Words   |  4 Pagesof the South during the 1930’s. Atticus Finch is one of the characters that pushes against these societal issues with kindness and acceptance. He is a lawyer and the father of two curious children who throughout the book learn many things from him. His moral lessons strongly affect the kids’ perspective of life, especially when he is given a very controversial trial defending a black man (Tom Robinson). This causes the town of May comb county to not only shame Atticus, but his children as well. He pours

A Midsummer Nights Dream Research Paper (with Cited)

The play, A Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare, is about four lovers and their dreamlike adventure through a fairy ruled forest. There are many different characters in this play and they each play their own individual role in how the play is performed and read. Three main characters that showed great characteristics are: Puck, Tom Bottom, and Helena. The play, A Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare, uses characters and their conflicts to give meaning to this piece of literature. A Midsummer Nights Dream was written in the early part of William Shakespeares life in 1596. It was written to be played at artistic carnivals and tried to please all parts of society; the carpenters to please all the galleries,†¦show more content†¦Give me your hands, if we be friends, And Robin shall restore amends. Nick Bottom is another comical character that makes the audience laughs from his overconfidence in him. He is one of the central figures in the subplot of the production of the Pyamus and Thisbe story. He brings his comedy from his extraordinary belief in his own abilities. Bottom thinks he is perfect at everything he does, yet he is a horrible actor and frequently makes rhetorical and grammatical mistakes in his speech. His humor stems from the fact that hes not aware of how ridiculous he is. Titania falls madly in love with Bottom after she was anointed with a love potion and Bottoms head has been turned into that of an ass. He thinks nothing out of the ordinary about a fairy queen that has fallen in deeply in love with him. His inability to perceive the fact that his head had been transformed and a fairy queen has fallen in love with him parallels how absurd he is. Although Puck and Bottom may stand out as two of the main characters they arent involved in the main conflict. Helena, who is desperately in love with Demetrius, may be the most drawn out character. Helena is he one lover who thinks more about the nature of love than the actual thing. She is extremely unsure about herself and thinks about her appearance a lot andShow MoreRelated Renaissance Family Values and Their Significance to As You Like It1920 Words   |  8 PagesRenaissance Family Values and Their Significance to As You Like It      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When I began my research for this paper, I did not have a good understanding of the term Renaissance.   Therefore, I thought that it was a good idea to clarify on this before I tried to learn about what family life was like at that time, and I also thought it might be interesting to look at Shakespeares family.    The word Renaissance means rebirth and refers to the 15th Century, between the years 1350 andRead MoreAnalyzing Mr. Keating’s Teaching Concept in Dead Poets Society from Progressivism4764 Words   |  20 Pagesshadow and becomes confident and gregarious. Under the edification of the Poetry Society, Neil listens to inner voice and found his real ideal. In spite of his father’s opposition, he successfully starred in the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 1.2 Overseas and Domestic Research Status According to the document literature, there are not many domestic scholars study on education through Dead Poets Society. The articles one-sidedly analyze the teaching methods, teaching concept or teacher-studentRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesManager: Kelly Warsak Senior Operations Supervisor: Arnold Vila Operations Specialist: Ilene Kahn Senior Art Director: Janet Slowik Interior Design: Suzanne Duda and Michael Fruhbeis Permissions Project Manager: Shannon Barbe Manager, Cover Visual Research Permissions: Karen Sanatar Manager Central Design: Jayne Conte Cover Art: Getty Images, Inc. Cover Design: Suzanne Duda Lead Media Project Manager: Denise Vaughn Full-Service Project Management: Sharon Anderson/BookMasters, Inc. Composition: Integra

Social Media and Business free essay sample

At the same time, every minute, 10 hours of content were uploaded to the video sharing platform YouTube. And, the image hosting site Flickr provided access to over 3 billion photographs, making the world-famous Louvre * Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: [emailprotected] eu (A. M. Kaplan), [emailprotected] eu (M. Haenlein). Museum’s collection of 300,000 objects seem tiny in comparison. According to Forrester Research, 75% of Internet surfers used ‘‘Social Media’’ in the second quarter of 2008 by joining social networks, reading blogs, or contributing reviews to shopping sites; this represents a signi? ant rise from 56% in 2007. The growth is not limited to teenagers, either; members of Generation X, now 35—44 years old, increasingly populate the ranks of joiners, spectators, and critics. It is therefore reasonable to say that Social Media represent a revolutionary new trend that should be of interest to companies operating in online space –—or any space, for that matter. Yet, not overly many ? rms seem to act comfortably in a world where consumers can speak so freely 0007-6813/$ — see front matter # 2009 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. All rights reserved. doi:10. 1016/j. bushor. 2009. 09. 003 60 with each other and businesses have increasingly less control over the information available about them in cyberspace. Today, if an Internet user types the name of any leading brand into the Google search, what comes up among the top ? ve results typically includes not only the corporate webpage, but also the corresponding entry in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Here, for example, customers can read that the 2007 model of Hasbro’s Easy-Bake Oven may lead to serious burns on children’s hands and ? gers due to a poorly-designed oven door, and that the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company has been accused of using child labor in its Liberian rubber factory. Historically, companies were able to control the information available about them through strategically placed press announcements and good public relations managers. Today, however, ? rms have been increasingly relegated to the sidelines as mere observers, having neither the knowledge nor the chance–—or, sometimes, even the right–—to alter publicly posted comments provided by their customers. Wikipedia, for example, expressly forbids the participation of ? ms in its online community. Such an evolution may not be surprising. After all, the Internet started out as nothing more than a giant Bulletin Board System (BBS) that allowed users to exchange software, data, messages, and news with each other. The late 1990s saw a popularity surge in homepages, whereby the Average Joe could share information about his private life; today’s equivalent would be the weblog, or blog. The era of corporate web pages and e-commerce started relatively recently with the launch of Amazon and eBay in 1995, and got a right ticking-off only 6 years later when the dot-com bubble burst in 2001. The current trend toward Social Media can therefore be seen as an evolution back to the Internet’s roots, since it retransforms the World Wide Web to what it was initially created for: a platform to facilitate information exchange between users. But does that mean that Social Media is just old wine in new bottles? Probably not! As we will delve into further, the technical advances that have been made over the past 20 years now enable a form of virtual content sharing that is fundamentally different from, and more powerful than, the BBS of the late 1970s. This article discusses the challenges and opportunities that emerge from this evolution for ? rms, and provides structure to better understand the rapidly evolving ? eld of Social Media. We begin by providing a de? nition and classi? cation of Social Media by looking at their historical roots, technical speci? cities, and differences from other entities such as Web 2. 0 and User Generated Content. We then focus on six types of Social Media–—collaborative projects, blogs, A. M. Kaplan, M. Haenlein content communities, social networking sites, virtual game worlds, and virtual social worlds–—and present ways in which companies can ef? iently make use of these applications. Based on this analysis, we then derive a set of 10 recommendations companies should follow when thinking about developing their own Social Media strategy, be it with respect to these aforementioned types or other applications which might emerge in the future. 2. What is Social Media– —And what is it not? As highlighted, the idea behind Social Media is far from groundbreaking. Nevertheless, there seems to be confusion among managers and academic researchers alike as to what exactly should be included under this term, and how Social Media differ from the seemingly-interchangeable related concepts of Web 2. and User Generated Content. It therefore makes sense to take a step back and provide insight regarding where Social Media come from and what they include. By 1979, Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis from Duke University had created the Usenet, a worldwide discussion system that allowed Internet users to post public messages. Yet, the era of Social Media as we understand it today probably started about 20 years earlier, when Bruce and Susan Abelson founded ‘‘Open Diary,’’ an early social networking site that brought together online diary writers into one community. The term ‘‘weblog’’ was ? st used at the same ti me, and truncated as ‘‘blog’’ a year later when one blogger jokingly transformed the noun ‘‘weblog’’ into the sentence ‘‘we blog. ’’ The growing availability of high-speed Internet access further added to the popularity of the concept, leading to the creation of social networking sites such as MySpace (in 2003) and Facebook (in 2004). This, in turn, coined the term ‘‘Social Media,’’ and contributed to the prominence it has today. The most recent addition to this glamorous grouping has been so-called ‘‘virtual worlds’’: computerbased simulated environments inhabited by threedimensional avatars. Perhaps the best known virtual world is that of Linden Lab’s Second Life (Kaplan Haenlein, 2009c). Although the list of the aforementioned applications may give some idea about what is meant by Social Media, a formal de? nition of the term ? rst requires drawing a line to two related concepts that are frequently named in conjunction with it: Web 2. 0 and User Generated Content. Web 2. 0 is a term that was ? rst used in 2004 to describe a new way in which software developers and end-users started to Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media utilize the World Wide Web; that is, as a platform whereby content and applications are no longer created and published by individuals, but instead are continuously modi? ed by all users in a participatory and collaborative fashion. While applications such as personal web pages, Encyclopedia Britannica Online, and the idea of content publishing belong to the era of Web 1. 0, they are replaced by blogs, wikis, and collaborative projects in Web 2. 0. Although Web 2. 0 does not refer to any speci? technical update of the World Wide Web, there is a set of basic functionalities that are necessary for its functioning. Among them are Adobe Flash (a popular method for adding animation, interactivity, and audio/video streams to web pages), RSS (Really Simple Syndication, a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content, such as blog entries or news headlines, in a standardized format), and AJAX (Asynchronous Java Script, a technique to retrieve data from web servers asynchronously, allowing the update of web content without interfering with the display and behavior of the whole page). For the purpose of our article, we consider Web 2. 0 as the platform for the evolution of Social Media. When Web 2. 0 represents the ideological and technological foundation, User Generated Content (UGC) can be seen as the sum of all ways in which people make use of Social Media. The term, which achieved broad popularity in 2005, is usually applied to describe the various forms of media content that are publicly available and created by end-users. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, 2007), UGC needs to ful? l three basic requirements in order to be considered as such: ? rst, it needs to be published either on a publicly accessible website or on a social networking site accessible to a selected group of people; second, it needs to show a certain amount of creative effort; and ? nally, it needs to have been created outside of professional routines and practices. The ? rst condition excludes content exchanged in e-mails or instant messages; the second, mere replications of already existing content (e. g. , posting a copy of an existing newspaper article on a personal blog without any modi? ations or commenting); and the third, all content that has been created with a commercial market context in mind. While UGC has already been available prior to Web 2. 0, as discussed above, the combination of technological drivers (e. g. , increased broadband availability and hardware capacity), economic drivers (e. g. , increased availability of tools for the creation of UGC), and social drivers (e. g. , rise of a generation of ‘‘digital natives’’ and ‘‘screenagers’’: younger age groups with substantial technical knowledge and 1 willingness to engage online) make UGC nowadays fundamentally different from what was observed in the early 1980s. Based on these clari? cations of Web 2. 0 and UGC, it is now straightforward to give a more detailed de? nition of what we mean by Social Media. I n our view–—and as used herein–—Social Media is a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2. 0, and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content. Within this general de? ition, there are various types of Social Media that need to be distinguished further. However, although most people would probably agree that Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, and Second Life are all part of this large group, there is no systematic way in which different Social Media applications can be categorized. Also, new sites appear in cyberspace every day, so it is important that any classi? cation scheme takes into account applications which may be forthcoming. To create such a classi? cation scheme, and to do so in a systematic manner, we rely on a set of theories in the ? ld of media research (social presence, media richness) and social processes (self-presentation, self-disclosure), the two key elemen ts of Social Media. Regarding the media-related component of Social Media, social presence theory (Short, Williams, Christie, 1976) states that media differ in the degree of ‘‘social presence’’–—de? ned as the acoustic, visual, and physical contact that can be achieved–—they allow to emerge between two communication partners. Social presence is in? uenced by the intimacy (interpersonal vs. mediated) and immediacy (asynchronous vs. ynchronous) of the medium, and can be expected to be lower for mediated (e. g. , telephone conversation) than interpersonal (e. g. , face-to-face discussion) and for asynchronous (e. g. , e-mail) than synchronous (e. g. , live chat) communications. The higher the social presence, the larger the social in? uence that the communication partners have on each other’s behavior. Closely related to the idea of social presence is the concept of media richness. Media richness theory (Daft Lengel, 1986) is based on the assumption that the goal of any communication is the resolution of ambiguity and the reduction of uncertainty. It states that media differ in the degree of richness they possess–—that is, the amount of information they allow to be transmitted in a given time interval–—and that therefore some media are more effective than others in resolving ambiguity and uncertainty. Applied to the context of Social Media, we assume that a ? rst classi? cation can be made based on the richness of the medium and the degree of social presence it allows. With respect to the social dimension of Social Media, the concept of self-presentation states that 2 in any type of social interaction people have the desire to control the impressions other people form of them (Goffman, 1959). On the one hand, this is done with the objective of in? uencing others to gain rewards (e. g. , make a positive impression on your future in-laws); on the other hand, it is driven by a wish to create an image that is consistent with one’s personal identity (e. g. , wearing a fashionable out? t in order t o be perceived as young and trendy). The key reason why people decide to create a personal webpage is, for example, the wish to present themselves in cyberspace (Schau Gilly, 2003). Usually, such a presentation is done through self-disclosure; that is, the conscious or unconscious revelation of personal information (e. g. , thoughts, feelings, likes, dislikes) that is consistent with the image one would like to give. Self-disclosure is a critical step in the development of close relationships (e. g. , during dating) but can also occur between complete strangers; for example, when speaking about personal problems with the person seated next to you on an airplane. Applied to the context of Social Media, we assume that a second classi? ation can be made based on the degree of self-disclosure it requires and the type of self-presentation it allows. Combining both dimensions leads to a classi? cation of Social Media which we have visualized in Table 1. With respect to social presence and media richness, applications such as collaborative projects (e. g. , Wikipedia) and blogs score lowest, as they are often text-based and hence only allow for a relatively simple exch ange. On the next level are content communities (e. g. , YouTube) and social networking sites (e. g. Facebook) which, in addition to text-based communication, enable the sharing of pictures, videos, and other forms of media. On the highest level are virtual game and social worlds (e. g. , World of Warcraft, Second Life), which try to replicate all dimensions of face-to-face interactions in a virtual environment. Regarding self-presentation and self-disclosure, blogs usually score higher than collaborative projects, as the latter tend to be focused on speci? c content domains. Table 1. A. M. Kaplan, M. Haenlein In a similar spirit, social networking sites allow for more self-disclosure than content communities. Finally, virtual social worlds require a higher level of self-disclosure than virtual game worlds, as the latter are ruled by strict guidelines that force users to behave in a certain way (e. g. , as warriors in an imaginary fantasy land). We will now provide more detail on each of these six different types of Social Media, and discuss the challenges and opportunities they offer companies. 3. The challenges and opportunities of Social Media 3. 1. Collaborative projects Collaborative projects enable the joint and simultaneous creation of content by many end-users and are, in this sense, probably the most democratic manifestation of UGC. Within collaborative projects, one differentiates between wikis–—that is, websites which allow users to add, remove, and change text-based content–—and social bookmarking applications–—which enable the group-based collection and rating of Internet links or media content. Exemplary applications within this category include the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, a wiki currently available in more than 230 different languages, and the social bookmarking web service Delicious, which allows the storage and sharing of web bookmarks. The main idea underlying collaborative projects is that the joint effort of many actors leads to a better outcome than any actor could achieve individually; this is similar to the ef? cient-market hypothesis in behavioral ? nance (Fama, 1970). From a corporate perspective, ? rms must be aware that collaborative projects are trending toward becoming the main source of information for many consumers. As such, although not everything written on Wikipedia may actually be true, it is believed to be true by more and more Internet users. This may be particularly crucial as regards corporate crises. For example, Classi? ation of Social Media by social presence/media richness and self-presentation/self-disclosure Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media when online book retailer Amazon started to test the idea of dynamic pricing, comments declaring such a practice as unfair showed up instantaneously under the Wikipedia entry on ‘‘time-based prici ng. ’’ Yet, collaborative projects also provide some unique opportunities for ? rms. Finnish handset manufacturer Nokia, for instance, uses internal wikis to update employees on project status and to trade ideas, which are used by about 20% of its 68,000 staff members. Likewise, American computer software company Adobe Systems maintains a list of bookmarks to company-related websites and conversations on Delicious. 63 3. 3. Content communities The main objective of content communities is the sharing of media content between users. Content communities exist for a wide range of different media types, including text (e. g. , BookCrossing, via which 750,000+ people from over 130 countries share books), photos (e. g. , Flickr), videos (e. g. , YouTube), and PowerPoint presentations (e. g. , Slideshare). Users on content communities are not required to create a personal pro? e page; if they do, these pages usually only contain basic information, such as the date they joined the community and the number of videos shared. From a corporate viewpoint, content communities carry the risk of being used as platforms for the sharing of copyright-protected materials. While major content communities have rules in place to ban and remove such illegal content, it is dif? cult to avoid popular videos–—such as recent episodes of comedy dramas–—being uploaded to YouTube only hours after they have been aired on television. On the positive side, the high popularity of content communities makes them a very attractive contact channel for many ? rms; this is easy to believe when one considers that YouTube serves over 100 million videos per day. In 2007, Procter Gamble organized a contest for its over-the-counter drug Pepto-Bismol, whereby users were encouraged to upload to YouTube 1-minute videos of themselves singing about the ailments Pepto-Bismol counteracts, including heartburn and nausea. In a similar spirit, kitchen appliances manufacturer Blendtec became popular for its bevy of inexpensive ‘‘Will it blend? ’ videos, which have been watched by millions of people. Other ? rms, such as Cisco and Google, rely on content communities to share recruiting videos, as well as keynote speeches and press announcements, with their employees and investors. 3. 2. Blogs Blogs, which represent the earliest form of Social Media, are special types of websites that usually display date-stamped entri es in reverse chronological order (OECD, 2007). They are the Social Media equivalent of personal web pages and can come in a multitude of different variations, from personal diaries describing the author’s life to summaries of all relevant information in one speci? content area. Blogs are usually managed by one person only, but provide the possibility of interaction with others through the addition of comments. Due to their historical roots, text-based blogs are still by far the most common. Nevertheless, blogs have also begun to take different media formats. For example, San Francisco-based Justin. tv allows users to create personalized television channels via which they can broadcast images from their webcam in real time to other users. Many companies are already using blogs to update employees, customers, and shareholders on developments they consider to be important. Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems, maintains a personal blog to improve the transparency of his company; so does automotive giant General Motors. Yet, as is the case with collaborative projects, blogs do not come without risks. These generally present in two fashions. First, customers who–—for one reason or another–—turn out to be dissatis? ed with or disappointed by the company’s offerings may decide to engage in virtual complaints in the form of protest websites or blogs (Ward Ostrom, 2006), which results in the availability of potentially damaging information in online space. Second, once ? rms encourage employees to be active on blogs, they may need to live with the consequences of staff members writing negatively about the ? rm. Microsoft’s former ‘‘technical evangelist’’ Robert Scoble, for example, had a tendency to ? ercely criticize the products of his employer–— before he decided to leave the Redmond-based software company in 2006. 3. 4. Social networking sites Social networking sites are applications that enable users to connect by creating personal information pro? les, inviting friends and colleagues to have access to those pro? es, and sending e-mails and instant messages between each other. These personal pro? les can include any type of information, including photos, video, audio ? les, and blogs. According to Wikipedia, the largest social networking sites are U. S. -based Facebook (initially founded by Mark Zuckerberg to stay in touch with his fellow students from Harvard University) and MySpace (with 1,500 employees and more than 250 million registered users). Social networking sites are of such high popularity, speci? cally among younger Internet 4 users, that the term ‘‘Facebook addict’’ has been included in the Urban Dictionary, a collaborative project focused on developing a slang dictionary for the English language. Several companies are already using social networking sites to support the creation of brand communities (Muniz O’Guinn, 2001) or for marketing research in the context of netnography (Kozinets, 2002). To promote the movie ‘‘Fred Claus,’’ a 2007 Christmas comedy ? lm, Warner Brothers created a Facebook pro? le via which visitors could watch trailers, download graphics, and play games. Likewise, the Adidas custom soccer community on MySpace allows visitors to associate themselves with one of two brands of elite soccer cleats produced by the German sports apparel manufacturer, and to access product reviews and information on professional soccer players who play using ‘‘their’’ shoes. Some ? rms even go one step further and use Facebook as a distribution channel. Consider U. S. -based ? orist 1-800-Flowers. com, which offers a widget on Facebook called ‘‘Gimme Love’’ whereby users can send ‘‘virtual bouquets’’ to friends or, with a click of the mouse, be directly transferred to the company’s website to send real ? wers. A. M. Kaplan, M. Haenlein hunter–—starts to more and more closely resemble their real life personality. Besides their use for ingame advertising (similar in idea to product placement in blockbuster movies), the high popularity of virtual game worlds can also be leveraged in more traditional communication campaigns. Japanese automotive giant Toyota, for example, used pictures and mechanics from the World of Warcraft application in its latest Tundra commercial to reach the 2. 5 million players in the U. S. lone. 3. 6. Virtual social worlds The second group of virtual worlds, often referred to as virtual social worlds, allows inhabitants to choose their behavior more freely and essentially live a virtual life similar to their real life. As in virtual game worlds, virtual social world users appear in the form of avatars and interact in a three-dimensional virtual environment; however, in this realm, there are no rules restricting the range of possible interactions, except for basic physical laws such as gravity. This allows for an unlimited range of self presentation strategies, and it has been shown that with increasing usage intensity and consumption experience, users of virtual social worlds–—or ‘‘residents,’’ as they prefer to be called–—show behavior that more and more closely mirrors the one observed in real life settings (Haenlein Kaplan, 2009; Kaplan Haenlein, 2009a, 2009b). Arguably, the most prominent example of virtual social worlds is the Second Life application, founded and managed by the San Francisco-based company Linden Research Inc. Besides doing everything that is possible in real life (e. g. , speaking to other avatars, taking a walk, enjoying the virtual sunshine), Second Life also allows users to create content (e. g. , to design virtual clothing or furniture items) and to sell this content to others in exchange for Linden Dollars, a virtual currency traded against the U. S. Dollar on the Second Life Exchange. Some residents are so successful in this task that the virtual money earned that way complements their real life income. Virtual social worlds offer a multitude of opportunities for companies in marketing (advertising/communication, virtual product sales/v-Commerce, marketing research), and human resource and internal process management; for a more detailed discussion, see Kaplan and Haenlein (2009c). 3. 5. Virtual game worlds Virtual worlds are platforms that replicate a threedimensional environment in which users can appear in the form of personalized avatars and interact with each other as they would in real life. In this sense, virtual worlds are probably the ultimate manifestation of Social Media, as they provide the highest level of social presence and media richness of all applications discussed thus far. Virtual worlds come in two forms. The ? rst, virtual game worlds, require their users to behave according to strict rules in the context of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). These applications have gained popularity in recent years, as standard game consoles–—such as Microsoft’s X-Box and Sony’s PlayStation–—now allow simultaneous play among a multitude of users around the globe. Examples of virtual game worlds include the cod-medieval ‘‘World of Warcraft,’’ which counts around 8. 5 million subscribers who explore the virtual planet of Azeroth in the form of humans, dwarves, orcs, or night elves, to ? ght monsters or to search for treasure; and Sony’s EverQuest, in which 16 different races of players (e. g. , wizards, clerics) travel the fantasy world of Norrath. The rules of such games usually limit the degree of self-presentation and self-disclosure possible, although some users spend so much time with these applications that their character–—be it a warrior, a wizard, or a dragon . Ten pieces of advice for companies deciding to use Social Media Social Media is a very active and fast-moving domain. What may be up-to-date today could have Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media disappeared from the virtual landscape tomorrow. It is therefore crucial for ? rms to have a set of guidelines that can be applied to any form of Social Media, whether they are part of the aforementioned list or not. Next, we provide such a set of recommendations. Given that Social Media have both a social- and a media-component, we split our advice into two sections: ? e points about using media and ? ve points about being social. 65 4. 1. Five points about using media 4. 1. 1. Choose carefully There are dozens–—if not hundreds–—of Social Media applications, and new ones are appearing on the horizon every day. If you still need time to run your core business, you simply cannot participate in them all, especially since ‘‘being active’’ is one key requirement of success (see below). Choosing the right medium for any given purpose depends on the target group to be reached and the message to be communicated. On the one hand, each Social Media application usually attracts a certain group of people and ? rms should be active wherever their customers are present. For example, if your main target audience is book lovers, a content community via which users share self-written novels or poems is likely better suited to your purpose than a virtual world which centers on ? ghting dragons and ? nding treasures. On the other hand, there may be situations whereby certain features are necessary to ensure effective communication, and these features are only offered by one speci? c application. For example, when the U. S. Army undertook an initiative in 2007 to reach the Hispanic community, it decided to utilize the social networking site Univision rather than the more popular Facebook. This choice was driven in part by the fact that Univision–—a Spanish-language television network in the U. S. and Puerto Rico–—is the social networking application with the largest Latin American audience, due to an extensive range of telenovelas and Mexican programs produced by Grupo Televisa. However, another reason Univision was chosen is because it offers a moderating service which checks comments from users for appropriateness before posting them on the site. In contrast, other applications, including Facebook, allow users to post messages without supervision. 4. 1. 2. Pick the application, or make your own Once you know which game you’re playing, the next decision involves whether to make or buy. In some cases, it might just be best to join an existing Social Media application and bene? t from its popularity and user base. After all, there is no need to reinvent the wheel if somebody has already done it, especially given that Social Media show positive network externalities in the sense that they get more attractive to join the more participants they already have. But in some cases, the right application might just not be available yet. Japan’s Fuji? lm, for example, recently launched its own social network to build a community of photo enthusiasts. In a similar spirit, U. S. -based department store ? rm Sears collaborated with MTV music television to create a social network around back-to-school shopping. Yet, whatever the ultimate decision–—to buy, make, or both–— it is vital that there is an understanding of the basic idea behind Social Media. It’s all about participation, sharing, and collaboration, rather than straightforward advertising and selling. 4. 1. 3. Ensure activity alignment Sometimes you may decide to rely on various Social Media, or a set of different applications within the same group, in order to have the largest possible reach. In this case, it is crucial to ensure that your Social Media activities are all aligned with each other. A prime example in this context is computer manufacturer Dell and its ‘‘Digital Nomads’’ campaign. Dell uses a combination of social networking sites (Facebook, LinkedIn), blogs, and content communities (YouTube videos) to show how its range of laptop computers enable individuals to become a nomadic mobile workforce. In a similar spirit, Chrysler’s Jeep brand connects with its customers by combining photos shared on the content community Flickr, with groups on social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Using different contact channels can be a worthwhile and pro? table strategy. But remember: one goal of communication is the resolution of ambiguity and reduction of uncertainty, and nothing is more confusing than contradicting messages across different channels. 4. 1. 4. Media plan integration What is true for different types of Social Media also holds for the relationship between Social Media and traditional media: Integration is key! While you may consider these two arenas to be completely different, in customers’ eyes they are both part of the same: your corporate image. Consider the actions of soft drink giant Coca-Cola. In June 2006, a pair of performance artists shot a video featuring a series of geysers they created by dropping Mentos brand mints into 2-liter bottles of Coke; the clip became a major hit on YouTube. Realizing customers’ enthusiasm for this performance, Coca-Cola fostered the sensation by airing the video on late-night television and ensuring broad digital distribution across different content communities. Besides the advantage of 66 high impact/low cost media coverage, the campaign also resulted in a measurable sales uplift. 4. 1. 5. Access for all Although this might sound elementary, once the ? rm has decided to utilize Social Media applications, it is worth checking that all employees may actually access them. Commonly, ? rms block Facebook, YouTube, and Second Life on corporate PCs for fear that staff might spend too much time networking instead of working. While this is certainly a consideration, it cannot imply that employees must have special permission to be able to access the company blog. At the same time, there is a need to curtail the possibility of the entire organization spending all its time producing funny videos and uploading them to YouTube. One possible approach involves de? ning groups of employees whose primary objective is the management of corporate Social Media; all other staff members are treated as occasional participants. Under this scenario, the ? rst group is given administrator rights–—which allows the opening of new discussion threads and deletion of inappropriate posts–—while the second group is not. Also, at some point, it will be necessary to develop certain guidelines for Social Media usage; as done, for instance, by ‘‘Big Blue’’ IBM, which has a corporate charta for appropriate behavior within Second Life. For example, it is important to highlight that every employee needs to identify himself or herself as such when posting a comment on the corporate blog. Otherwise, end-consumers could get the impression that anonymous accounts are used to enable employees to post fake messages and overly-positive feedback, which could severely damage the credibility of your whole Social Media campaign. A. M. Kaplan, M. Haenlein else’s than it is about engaging others in open and active conversation. Participants on Social Media applications have the desire to actively engage and to become both producers and consumers of information, so-called ‘‘prosumers’’ (Tof? er, 1980). Be considerate of this need and act accordingly. 4. 2. 2. Be interesting Let’s face it: nobody is interested in speaking to a boring person. As such, if you would like your customers to engage with you, you need to give them a reason for doing so–—one which extends beyond saying you are the best airline in town, or manufacture the most robust kitchen blender. The ? st step is to listen to your customers. Find out what they would like to hear; what they would like to talk about; what they might ? nd interesting, enjoyable, and valuable. Then, develop and post content that ? ts those expectations. Coffee powerhouse Starbucks, for example, created the ‘‘My Starbucks I dea’’ platform, via which customers can submit new ideas for the company. These ideas are subsequently voted on by other users, with the winners being considered for implementation by Starbucks top management. As stated by Oscar Wilde in his novel, The Picture of Dorian Grey: The one sin for which there is no forgiveness is ennui. . 2. 3. Be humble Never forget that Social Media existed before you decided to engage in them; indeed, in many cases, even before you knew about their existence. In this light, do not expect that you know better how to use them than others who have spent countless hours on Facebook or Second Life, for example. Before you enter any application, ? rst take some time to discover it and to learn about its history and basic rules. Only once you have gained the necessary understanding, start to participate. When aerospace and defense ? rm Boeing decided to launch its ? st corporate blog, the site was designed such that users were not allowed to com ment on what they saw. Yet, interaction and feedback are critical elements of all Social Media, blogs included. Hence, many readers perceived the Boeing blog as a fake, and simply corporate advertising in disguise. If there is one certain path to failure, it involves thinking that Social Media is just about posting existing TV spots on YouTube or putting prefabricated press announcements on corporate blogs. 4. 2. 4. Be unprofessional Have you ever noticed that in Hollywood blockbuster ? ms, it’s not usually the handsome guy who ends up with the girl, but rather the clumsy, charming one? The same goes for Social Media, and ? rms 4. 2. Five points about being social 4. 2. 1. Be active If you want to develop a relationship with someone, it is always advisable to take the lead and to be active. Social Media are all about sharing and interaction, so ensure that your content is always fresh and that you engage in discussions with your customers. Consider the aforementioned blog kep t by Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz. Via this outlet, the ? urehead discusses–—on an ongoing basis–—his corporate strategy, new product development projects, and company values, and replies directly to correspondence received. In considering your Social Media efforts, be aware that ? rm involvement must extend beyond responding to negative comments and defending product offerings. Social Media is less about explaining why your baking mix, detergent, or shampoo is better than anyone Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media would be wise to avoid overly-professional content offerings. There’s no need to spend $100,000 to design the perfect MySpace presence, or hire a professional writer to manage your corporate blog. Instead, try to blend in with other users and don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Bill Marriott, Chairman and CEO of the Marriott International Hotel chain, uses his blog, for example, to post regular updates and stories from his travels to Marriott properties around the world–—very much in the same way as would a work colleague when describing her last vacation. Social Media users are people like you, who understand that things do not always go smoothly. And, if you’re nice to them, they may even give you free advice on how to do it better the next time. 4. 2. 5. Be honest Last but not least, be honest and respect the rules of the game. Some Social Media–—such as Wikipedia–— may not allow companies to be involved, so do not try to force your way in. Consider Anheuser-Busch, owner of SeaWorld marine mammal parks. Anheuser-Busch tried to ‘‘rectify’’ misleading information on Wikipedia through the use of PR ? rms, and failed miserably at it. Never expect that other participants may not ? d out who stands behind some anonymous user account; after all, you’re dealing with some of the most technologically sophisticated people on the planet. 67 5. Nothing to lose but their chains Today, everything is about Social Media. Some industry gurus claim that if you do not participate in Facebook, YouTube, and Second Life, you are not part of cyberspace anymore. Social Media allow ? rms to engage in timely and direct end-consumer contact at relatively low cost and higher levels of ef? ciency than can be achieved with more traditional communication tools. This makes Social Media not only relevant for large multinational ? rms, but also for small and medium sized companies, and even nonpro? t and governmental agencies. Using Social Media is not an easy task and may require new ways of thinking, but the potential gains are far from being negligible. Dell, for example, states that its use of Twitter–—a micro blogging application that allows sending out short, text-based posts of 140 characters or less–—has generated $1 million in incremental revenue due to sales alerts. Some ? ms may even be too successful for their own good, as illustrated by Burger King’s ‘‘Whopper Sacri? ce’’ campaign: In December 2008, the fast food giant developed a Facebook application which gave users a free Whopper sandwich for every 10 friends they deleted from their Facebook network. The campaign was adopted by over 20,000 users, resulting in the sacri? cing of 233,906 friends in exchange for free bur gers. Only one month later, in January 2009, Facebook shut down Whopper Sacri? ce, citing privacy concerns. Who would have thought that the price of a friendship is less than $2 a dozen? A new trend is on the horizon, though; Watch out for Mobile Social Media! Mobile Web 2. 0 is very similar to Web 2. 0, as discussed earlier. In contrast to its predecessor Mobile Web 1. 0, which relied on proprietary protocols (e. g. , WAP) and use-based pricing, Mobile Web 2. 0 is characterized by open standards (e. g. , a transition to the TCP/IP protocol, the technical foundation of the World Wide Web) and ? at-rate systems. Even the manual entry of web addresses using small and dif? cult-to-handle keyboards is becoming history. Soon, all items around you will be equipped with Radio Frequency Identi? cation (RFID) tags that will be able to automatically connect to your mobile phone and send URLs to them, similar to today’s text messages. This technical evolution is laying the groundwork for moving Social Media applications away from desktop PCs and laptops, toward mobile devices. Why log into Facebook if you can easily update all your friends using Twitter? Why wait until you return home to watch the new YouTube video if you can do so conveniently on your iPhone? According to Jupiter Research, the market for Mobile Web 2. evolutions will grow from a mere $5. 5 billion today to an impressive $22. 4 billion by 2013. Mobile Social Media applications are expected to be the main driver of this evolution, soon accounting for over 50% of the market. In one way, this surge toward Mobile Social Media can even be seen as another step toward Internet democratization and closing the digital divide between develop ed and emerging countries. In India, for example, mobile phones outnumber PCs by 10 to 1. In Thailand, only 13% of the population owns a computer, versus 82% who have access to a mobile phone. It is therefore not surprising that the Pew Research Center–—a Washington-based think tank–—estimates that by 2020, a mobile device will be the primary Internet connection tool for most people in the world. Making Social Media applications mobile is likely to tap a currently unexploited base of new users. Even if percapita spending in these countries may still be low, vast population numbers make them relevant for virtually any ? rm. Obviously, Mobile Social Media does not come without a price. Some would argue that while it enables the detailed following of friends half-way across the world, it can foster a society where we don’t now the names of our own next-door neighbors. Be that as it may, and independent of 68 whether or not one approves of such an evolution, it seems undisputable that (Mobile) Social Media will be the locomotive via which the World Wide Web evolves. Businesses, take note–—and don’t miss this train! A. M. Kaplan, M. Haenlein Kaplan, A. M. , Haenlein, M. (2009b). Consumers, companies, and virtual social worlds: A qualitative analysis of Second Life. Advances in Consumer Research, 36(1), 873—874. Kaplan, A. M. , Haenlein, M. (2009c). The fairyland of Second Life: About virtual social worlds and how to use them. Business Horizons, 52(6), 563—572. Kozinets, R. V. (2002). The ? eld behind the screen: Using netnography for marketing research in online communities. Journal of Marketing Research, 39(1), 61—72. Muniz, A. M. , O’Guinn, T. C. (2001). Brand community. Journal of Consumer Research, 27(4), 412—432. OECD. (2007). Participative web and user-created content: Web 2. 0, wikis, and social networking. Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Schau, H. J. , Gilly, M. C. (2003). We are what we post? Selfpresentation in personal web space. Journal of Consumer Research, 30(3), 385—404. Short, J. , Williams, E. , Christie, B. (1976). The social psychology of telecommunications. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Tof? er, A. (1980). The third wave: The classic study of tomorrow. New York: Bantam Books. Ward, J. C. , Ostrom, A. L. (2006). Complaining to the masses: The role of protest framing in customer-created complaint web sites. Journal of Consumer Research, 33(2), 220—230. References Daft, R. L. , Lengel, R. H. (1986). Organizational information requirements, media richness, and structural design. Management Science, 32(5), 554—571. Fama, E. F. (1970). Ef? cient capital markets: A review of theory and empirical work. Journal of Finance, 25(2), 383—417. Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. New York: Doubleday Anchor Books. Haenlein, M. , Kaplan, A. M. (2009). Flagship brand stores within virtual worlds: The impact of virtual store exposure on real life brand attitudes and purchase intent. Recherche et Applications en Marketing 24(3). Kaplan, A. M. , Haenlein, M. (2009a). Consumer use and business potential of virtual worlds: The case of Second Life. The International Journal on Media Management 11(3).

Movie Review and Critique The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which was released in the U.S. in 2008, is a film whose screenplay is loosely adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald having the same name. David Fincher directs the fantasy, drama, and romance movie while Eric Roth and Robin Swicord take charge of the screenplay.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Movie Review and Critique: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The film stirs Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt, apparent adult) as a man who is born with the look and physical maladies of a very old man and to the disappointment of everyone as he ages backwards (Scott, para. 3; Ebert, para. 1). This is the major conflict in the movie. The movie, starting nicely with greatly marinated food for thought and shifting towards an emotional ending that is as light as a feather, tells the story of Benjamin who is born just after the end of the Second World War in 1918 and lives well into the 21st century. Benjamin’s time traveler story, set in New Orleans, is about the individuals and locations he comes across as he moves, the loves he misplaces and discovers, the pleasure of life and the sorrow of decease, and what endures beyond time. The visually and emotionally rich film tells the life of Benjamin through his diary read to an old woman named Daisy (Cate Blanchett, adult) by her daughter, Caroline (Julia Ormond). The â€Å"curious case† in Benjamin’s life is that he is born as tiny shriveled aged elderly man (Sciretta, para. 2). Nonetheless, he lives like any normal man, as he grows younger and younger until he is a fully-grown person. Surprisingly, he dwindles to a young man and ultimately to an infant once again until he passes on in Daisy’s arms (Plowman, para.1). As a wizened geezer at the start of his weird life, Benjamin bumps into Daisy, a brilliant ballet dancer (Fisher, para. 3). Af ter some encounters, the two establish an instant connection, which cannot be said to be either creepy or paedophilic (Lipovetsky, para. 3). And, as they become of comparable physical age, they have a short passionate love affair. However, the contra-flow of time necessitates their separation and Benjamin departs. Eventually, when he shows up at twelve years of age, Daisy takes care of him until his death as an infant. The technical digital trickery that Fincher uses to create the characters in the film is definitely astounding. Fincher’s technical wizardry to increase the ages of the characters and also the way he makes them to look younger, in their teenage years, is extraordinary. Of particular mention is how Daisy is shown as an aged woman in a New Orleans hospital. The film’s director digitally tweaked Cate Blanchett’s skin so as to appear dissonantly smooth throughout the entire face, including the eyes. This is the same technique used for treating the ski ns of burns victims.Advertising Looking for critical writing on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The entire appearances of most of the actors’ skin have a metallic gloss. This makes them to look as though they can ring when tapped. The characters do not look as young people as such. They bear more resemblance to robot-replicants from Planet West world. Thus, this is the major inconsistency evident in the movie. However, worth mentioning, the character with a real-looking appearance is that of Julia Ormond when he reads aloud from Benjamin’s diary. Fincher demonstrated good skills in directing the film. The director winds the clock in such a manner that the wearing ordeal has an indisputable story line, which is pleasant from the beginning until the movie culminates (McCarthy, para. 4). The film’s director added a dimension of delicacy to the movie making as it clearly stands on the shoulders of other films released during that time (Bradshaw, para. 2). Whereas he considers treating his viewers to a small number of grand, special-effect showpieces, the director places more attention in the creation of the actors. Most importantly, as described above, the appearance of his stars: Benjamin and Daisy (as adults). At one hundred and sixty-seven minutes and no, not in reverse time, there is no time wasted; each shot is jaw dropping. Although the movie was adapted from an earlier version of a book, its screenplay is very different since it is only its title, Benjamin’s name and several aspects of the aging process that are maintained in its production. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a well-made movie. The characters who participated in the story did their best. The filmmakers took no chances; they crammed each scene with detail. The century-bridging costumes developed by the production designer have are top-notch in effectively delivering the intended message. The filmmakers concentrated in shooting mainly deep focus images so as to make best use of information in each frame. In addition, it is important to note that the depth of the blacks they accomplish shooting on digital is astonishing. Thus, the film is worth watching especially for those who want to know the importance of the aging process. Works Cited Bradshaw, Peter. â€Å"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.† Guardian.co.uk. Guardian News and Media Ltd, 6 Feb. 2009. Web. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/feb/06/benjamin-button-brad-pitt-cate-blanchettAdvertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Movie Review and Critique: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ebert, Roger. â€Å"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.† Rogerebert.com. Chicago Sun-Times, 23 Dec. 2008. Web. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081223/REVIEWS/812239995 Fisher, Jon athan. â€Å"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.† Thefilmbrief.com. The Film Brief, 27 Dec. 2008. Web. http://www.thefilmbrief.com/2008/12/curious-case-of-benjamin-button.html Lipovetsky, Josh. â€Å"Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Essential Themes.† Film  Insight.net. The Film Insight, 3 Jan. 2009. Web. http://filminsight.net/2009/02/20/the-curious-case-of-benjamin-button-essential-themes/ McCarthy, Todd. â€Å"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.† Variety.com. Reed Business Information, 2011. Web. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117939098/ Plowman, Nick. â€Å"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.† Fataculture. Film and Television Appreciation Culture, 3 Jan. 2009. Web. http://fataculture.wordpress.com/2009/01/03/review-the-curious-case-of-benjamin-button/ Sciretta, Peter. â€Å"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Movie Trailer.†Ã‚  Slashfilm.com. 12 June 2008. Web. http://www.slashfilm.com/the-curious-case-of-benjamin-button-movie-tr ailer/ Scott, Anthony. â€Å"It’s the Age of a Child Who Grows From a Man.† Movies. The New York Times, 25 Dec. 2008. Web. http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/12/25/movies/25butt.htmlAdvertising Looking for critical writing on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This critical writing on Movie Review and Critique: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was written and submitted by user Mario Cox to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.