Shortcuts In The Great Gatsby Analysis - 1448 Words

How long does it take for society to find shortcuts? In most cases, the human race is constantly innovating to find faster more efficient ways to do just about everything. Some things, however, are not meant to be rushed. Throughout The Great Gatsby, one of the most prominent themes is that of the American Dream- a so called sense of achievement and reward free to anyone who works for it. Though this idea is nice, the novel goes to show that this concept is very warped and often either unreachable or grabbed for sloppily by taking shortcuts to happiness. Whether this refers to Daisy and Tom, who use other methods to find entertainment as opposed to working for real relationships, Gatsby, who pines over an unachievable desire, or society in†¦show more content†¦For Tom, this means running of to New York when it suits him and finding pleasure from his other romantic affiliations. Daisy is no more faithful. Throughout the novel, Tom expresses distaste for the very type of woman he married as well as the girls he continues to see. The â€Å"modern† woman is supposedly not at all to his taste, with all of the running around and flirtation. After his discovery of Daisy’s affair, he erupts, shaming the lifestyle he himself leads. â€Å"I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife† (Fitzgerald 139). Tom and Daisy represent the failed American Dream completely- each unhappy, corrupt, and pretending to live a lifestyle inconsistent with their actions. The hypocrisy is overwhelming. Next, Gatsby appears to be living the American Dream because he is rich and supposedly well liked. However, his American Dream is never achieved, as Gatsby is actually quite unhappy and lives without fulfillment. His expectations for his American Dream are extremely high and virtually unachievable. After all, the core of his dream rests on reliving the past, and ultimately, Daisy. Daisy is far from perfect. Therefore, â€Å"Gatsby must make her what she is not and must give her every perfection; his love for Daisy has to be lifted above time and reality†Show MoreRelated The Fall of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby Essay1776 Words   |  8 Pagesall showed that a person had been successful in their life and were vital points to the American Dreams of the Characters in the Great Gatsby. Many of them strived in their own way to achieve â€Å"the dream†, however, twisted ideals of love, wealth, and class led to the eventual fall of the American Dream in The Great Gat sby. Love was turned into a conquest in The Great Gatsby instead of what love should really be; deep feelings of care and affection towards a person. According to Marilyn Roberts, â€Å"TheRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesï » ¿TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS The purpose of Text Interpretation and Analysis is a literary and linguistic commentary in which the reader explains what the text reveals under close examination. Any literary work is unique. It is created by the author in accordance with his vision and is permeated with his idea of the world. The reader’s interpretation is also highly individual and depends to a great extent on his knowledge and personal experience. That’s why one cannot lay down a fixed â€Å"model†Read MoreThe Core Competence of the Corporation8328 Words   |  34 PagesHamel is lecturer in business policy and management at the London Business School. Their most recent HBR article, ‘‘Strategic Intent’’ (May–June 1989), won the 1989 McKinsey Award for excellence. This article is based on research funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. Copyright businesses, but it had no experience as an operating telecommunications company. Yet look at the positions of GTE and NEC in 1988. GTE’s 1988 sales were $16.46 billion, and NEC’s sales were considerably higher

Anxiety And Its Affects Christina Griffey - 1114 Words

Anxiety and Its Affects Christina Griffey Palm Beach State College One of the first things we notice when we meet a person is their outer appearance. More than ever, in today’s society, we put emphasis on what we look like. We are constantly being bombarded by commercials and magazine ads about what makeup to use, what stores to shop at, what the latest health beverage is just to name a few. On social media, there are pages dedicated to fitness and what men and women are supposed to look like after months of working out, fitness inspiration, and at home workouts. Although it is extremely important to feel good about your outer appearance and be physically healthy, mental health is just as important. It is a topic that is†¦show more content†¦If we are not doing well in how we think, it will eventually affect many, if not all, aspects of our lives. Having a mental disorder or illness has a domino effect. For example, if a person goes through an event that makes them have low self-esteem, they will believe they are not good enough. If not dealt with, this could affect the work and school performance, which can affect grades and finances, which can turn into worry, which can turn into health problems. Everything is linked to our minds and it is important to make sure we are aware of how we handle situations so we do not negatively affect ourselves. Anxiety is defined as the body’s natural response to danger, an automatic alarm that goes off when you feel threatened, under pressure, or are facing a stressful situation. A little bit of anxiety can actually help a person stay attentive and on track. If we did not feel a certain level of pressure at a job or school, then perhaps we wouldn’t care about it as much. We might slack or leave a few loose ends that may cause us to fall behind. A little bit is actually beneficial, but unfortunately there are people who have to deal with anxiety as part of a mental illness or disorder. There are different types of anxiety which include: general anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and social phobia. General anxiety disorder is an excessive state of worry that

Analyze strategy of Starbucks Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Analyze strategy of Starbucks. Answer: Introduction This paper discusses the strategy of Starbucks Inc and analyzes how these strategies are modeled to help the company achieve its goals and objectives. The paper analyzes the growth strategy of Starbucks, its marketing and communication strategy as well as market segmentation. An analysis of the financial performance of the company is also done in this paper. Starbucks` strategy Starbucks strategy is anchored around future growth by growing the number of stores across various geographical regions. Starbucks is concentrating on increasing he number of stores especially in Asia Pacific and middle East. The strategy of the company also involves elevating the coffee experience of customers and hence improving customer satisfaction. Driving at home coffee and share occasion strategy will help to diversify and increase the brands product portfolio and hence fueling growth. How is competing for Starbucks Competition for Starbucks is stiff but the company has a strong brand that helps it to be competitive and it has helped the company to maintain its market leadership position(McGee, 89). Some of the main competitors for Starbucks include Dunkin` Donuts and McDonald`s. Competition from substitute drinks such as Soda is also high. Where is competing Competition for Starbucks is widely spread in all regions that the company operates. Competition is very intense in Europe and US. The company differentiates products depending on the market and the type and level of competition. Types of competitive advantage experienced by Starbucks There are two types of competitive advantage; Cost competitive advantage involves a company competing in the market by minimizing cost and hence offering goods and services at lower prices compared to their of the competitor. Differentiation strategy involves a company exploiting its ability to differentiate products and services and hence help the company become more competitive than other players in the industry (Jeyarathmm, 134). The cost may remain high but products offered are unique and hence customers will be attracted to the company. Market segmentation Starbucks segments its market based on a variety of factors. These aspects include; Geographic market segmentation- Starbucks divides its market depending on the geographic location of outlets. This is done according to the continent in which the company is operating. Demographic segmentation- Demographic factors such as gender and age are used by Starbucks when developing products e.g there are special products made for kids. Market positioning Starbucks has positioned itself as the premium and classic coffee outlet globally that focuses on optimizing consumer experiencing and satisfying the needs and desires of customers. Starbucks puts a lot of emphasize on customer experience and this has been instrumental to the company maintaining its strong brand and market position (Strategic Marketing Management,9-76). Vertical scope Starbucks is not vertically integrated. The company specializes in coffee retail through its various outlets in different locations. Starbucks does not engage in coffee production but it monitors the quality of coffee beans which are processed to become the coffee that it offers customers (Hitt, 17-56). Geographical scope Starbucks operates globally. It opens stores in all continents globally depending on market analysis and the forecast demand in a particular market. Starbucks strategy is to reach as many potential customers globally as possible and hence help it meet the goal of serving the world Starbucks coffee (Petit,47 ). Product scope Starbucks has a wide products portfolio. Starbucks main product is coffee and tea but both products are highly differentiated to cater for the tastes and preferences of different customers. There are more than 30 blends of coffee and a single-origin premium coffee (David and David 405-417) . Ready to drink beverages are also a popular product of Starbucks. The other products offered by Starbucks include; Handcrafted beverages, merchandise and fresh food. Performance of Starbucks for the year 2016 For the financial year ended October 2016 Starbucks recorded an operating income of $4.2billion. This is an increase of 16% from the previous years operating income. The growth in income of the company can be attributed to the expansion of the company by opening more stores globally. The sales in Americas also increased by 11% and growth in the Chinese market were very encouraging. The global sales for the year 2016 increased by 4%. The revenue for Starbucks in the year 2016 was recorded at 21.32 billion US dollars. Starbucks stocks have not been performing well recently with the stock price having decreased by 13% in August 2016. Sales growth computation for Starbucks Sales for the year 2015 were $19.2 billion. The sales grew in the following year to $21.32 billion. The following is a computation of the sales growth for the year 2016: Increase in sales= 21.32-19.2=2.12 billion Us dollars Percentage increase in Sales= (2.12/19.2)100=0.11=11% Starbucks sales growth is 11%. Return on Equity Return on equity is the amount of net income that has returned to the business calculated as a percentage of shareholder equity. This ratio is used to measure the profitability of a company by revealing the amount generated from the investments by the shareholders. It is calculated as follows: ROE=Net Income/Shareholders Equity= Net income=$2,757,400 Shareholder=$5,890,700 ROE=2,757,400/5,890,700=0.47 ROE=47% Operating margins The operating profit margin for Starbucks for the 2016 financial year is 18.47%. It is calculated by finding the operating income and dividing it by the revenue of the company. The operating income for Starbucks during this period was $4.17.The revenue for the same period id 21.31B OM=4.17/213.1=0.1847 =18.47 % Long term debt equity ratio This ratio is calculated by dividing the long term debt of the company with the equity of the company. This ratio is used to measure the long term solvency of the company and identify the balance between borrowed capital and owners equity. Long term debt=$3,202,200 Total equity=5,890,700 Debt/Equity ratio=3,202,200/5,890,700=0.5436 =54.4% Analysis of performance based on the calculations The performance of Starbucks can be analyzed from the ratios calculated using the information available concerning the company. Starbucks recorded a sales growth of 11% (Wilson, 109). This means that the company is headed in the right direction and the increase in sales especially in the Americas and China. The growth in sales is a positive for the company and it means that the strategies of the company are working. The return on Equity for Starbucks stands at 47%. This means that for every $1 of stakeholders investment, an investor gets $0.47. This return on equity is good for the investors of the company. A positive return on equity means that the company is able to generate enough profits to recoup good earnings on the investments. The operating margins for the company are also positive and it indicates good performance of the company. The debt/equity ratio of Starbucks is above 50%. This means that the company is operating using more debts than owners equity. Since the debts of the company are more than half of the capital of the business and therefore the management should focus on reducing the debt of the company since it reduces the solvency of the company. This is weakness since the cost of financing the debt may be high and become counterproductive. The arguments on the performance of Starbucks are based on information obtained from the balance sheet of the company. The income statement of the company is also in providing information that is used to access the performance of the company (Cravens and Piercy, 122). Annual audited financial statements are available on the companies` websites. Conclusion The paper analyzes the strategies that Starbucks uses to become competitive and to grow and expand in the market. The growth and expansion strategy of Starbucks is to open more outlets in different regions globally. The company is currently focusing on the China market and the Asia Pacific. Starbucks mainly segments its market geographically and demographically. Starbucks has positioned itself as a premium coffee outlet globally that offers consumers unique customer experience. References Cravens, David W, and Nigel F Piercy. Strategic Marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irvin, 2013. Print. David, Meredith E., and Fred R. David. "Are Key Marketing Topics Adequately Covered In Strategic Management?."Journal of Strategic Marketing 25.5-6 (2016): 405-417. Web. Hitt, M.A. "Relevance Of Strategic Management Theory And Research For Supply Chain Management."Strategic Direction 27.7 (2011): n. pag. Web. McGee, John. Strategic Management. Chichester: Wiley, 2014. Print. Petit, Y. "Advancing Project And Portfolio Management Research: Applying Strategic Management Theories."Strategic Direction 28.9 (2012): n. pag. Web. Strategic Marketing Management. [Place of publication not identified]: Willford Pr, 2016. Print. Wilson, Richard. Strategic Marketing Management. [S.L.]: Routledge, 2017. Print.