Masculinity in commercials Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Masculinity in commercials - Research Paper Example Most movies illustrate that men with a lot of wealth are greatly admired many people in the society (Valentine, 2011). This also associates they power within the society. This makes them become role models within the society. Therefore; most persons would want to get to their levels. Men in successful business are also admired because of several reasons. One of the traits that makes them be greatly admired is the wealth of experience they posses. The experience enables to solve the daily problems they encounter at their work place (Anderson, 2007). The ability to solve problems is a character that is greatly admired by many. The major focus that makes them be admired is because of the wealth they posses. Wealth is admired by all people in the world. Movies and sports constantly display physical attractiveness men display. Physical attractiveness can be defined as the extent at which the physical traits of a person are pleasing aesthetically (Jones, 2010). Physical attractiveness also mean sexual attractiveness the men have. Physical attractiveness demonstrated by men depends on several factors. Some of these factors include the physical aspect of men. Physical attractions encompass perceptions that are universal besides those based on human cultures. In some instances, the term physical attractiveness also depends on the subjective preferences of the person judging a particular scenario. In movies, people have greatly admired males that are not only intelligent but also honest. According to research done in the United Kingdom, the results revealed that there is a stronger relationship between physical attractiveness and male gender attributes. The results showed that men who were physically attractive were equally intelligent. This is one of the reasons as to why people admire males that are physically attractive. They assume that they are also intelligent. Currently; psychologists are also contributing to the debate. They suggest that males that are physically attractive should be intelligent averagely (Little, 2006). According to psychologist, general intelligence, physical attractiveness is one of the contributing factors to genetic fitness in most men. The fitness most men display in sports like Rugby and football is attributed to physical attractiveness. This also makes men be attractive. Women admire men that are taller and are muscular. This guarantees them security from any form of harm. Further, the female genders prefer men that posses’ facial symmetry. Men should have facial dimorphism and a waist that is narrow. Finally, the shape of the torso should be a V-shaped. Sexual dimorphism trait in men is greatly admired in several ways. For example, heterosexual women prefer masculine face traits throughout their developmental stages. The aspects of masculine faces that are greatly admired include a fore head that is broad. A lower face that is relatively longer is equally admired in men. A brow and chin that is prominent is equally admired. Published literature reveals that males that are masculine have higher chances of achieving higher status in the society. Such Socio cultural factors associated with masculine traits also make men be admired (Christian, 2012). Other masculine traits are the perceived attractiveness in the society and conformity to genders. These factors play a great role in the preferences women have towards men. Beautiful women select masculine men with facial dimorphism. Their association with such men increases their

Building Construction for the Fire Service Research Paper

Building Construction for the Fire Service - Research Paper Example This need highlighted the importance of having building codes and standards so that a uniform design approach and criteria should be followed by everyone. Hence no risk is to be taken. As we are aware of the fact that there are two phases of the establishment of the any facility or building, firstly it is the design of the structure and second is the construction or execution phase of the design. In the modern day the different building codes and standards restricts the builder and designer to make structures safe. It is also observed that when ever I collapse is seen these building codes and standards are reviewed for any mistakes and error and consequently they are changed and amended. If we scrutinize the building codes and standards we come to a conclusion that they are consider worst conditions in loading such as dead loading, live , wind and even earth quakes but fire loading was not seriously considered as a probable cause of collapse of the structure until collapse of the Wor ld Trade Center in New York terrorist attack. But now the latest codes consider the fire as an equally probable cause of collapse of structure. In this paper I would go about the problem in the similar manner as engineers and designers did when drafting the codes and standards against the fire and its impact loading, where I will focus on the following . 1. General building design and Construction methodologies 2. Causes Of Collapses Of Structures 3. Progressive Collapse Analysis 4. Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse 5. Impact of collapses on the Building codes and standards General building design and Construction methodologies As far as the fire protection is concerned the building design and type of construction the National Fire Protection Association, (NFPA 220, 2006) has classified into two types, and firstly there are those buildings where the construction material is combustible (wood, steel) and secondly noncombustible for instance concrete and bricks. On the other hand the Association has divided it into five sub categories according to the fire resisting rating and construction methodologies of the structure as a whole. Type I is fire-resistive construction this type of construction mainly consist of non combustible materials and have a fairly good fire resistance rating that is it can resists fire for about 3-4 hours and this category include materials such as precast concrete slabs, concrete columns and beams. Type II is Noncombustible type, it consists of building having steel beams and girders, which are low on fire resistance rating, and are prone to large deformation and resulting into ultimate failure. Type III is the ordinary construction which comprises of mixed construction material which used in combination of steel, wood and concrete. The older this type of construction gets the more will be the risk of fire and hence more chances will be there of a complete structural collapse. Then comes the Type IV which is Heavy Timber structures, as the name depicts that these building types consists of heavy wood and almost all the structural elements are of wood, which we all are well aware very much prone to fire but at the same time these type of structures burns for a longer time and hence no sudden collapse is seen and some time is given to the inhabitants to escape the facility. Lastly it is Type V which is Wood Frames these are those building types which have a wooden frame as main skeleton of the structure but

The CRM Value Chain Essay Example for Free

The CRM Value Chain Essay The meaning of those three letters, CRM, is hotly contested. For some, CRM is simply a bridge between marketing and IT: CRM is therefore an IT-enabled sales and service function. For others it’s little more than precisely targeted 1to-1 communications. But both of these views deny CRM its great potential contribution. Because CRM, at its most advanced, answers questions like ‘who should we serve?’ and ‘what should we serve to them?’ and ‘how should we serve them?’ it could, and often should, be positioned as the fundamental strategic process around which the business is organised. CRM decisions impact on marketing, certainly, but also on operations, sales, customer service, HR, RD and finance, as well as IT. CRM is fundamentally cross-functional, customerfocussed business strategy. The CRM value chain The CRM value chain (figure 1) is a proven model which businesses can follow when developing and implementing their CRM strategies. It has been five years in development and has been piloted in a number of business-tobusiness and business-to-consumer settings, with both large companies and SMEs: IT, software, telecoms, financial services, retail, media, manufacturing, and construction. The model is grounded on strong theoretical principles and the practical requirements of business. The ultimate purpose of the CRM value chain process is to ensure that the company builds long-term mutually-beneficial relationships with its strategically-significant customers. Not all customers are strategically significant. Indeed some customers are simply too expensive to acquire and service. They buy little and infrequently; they pay late or default; they make extraordinary demands on customer service and sales resources; they demand expensive, short-run, customised output; and then they defect to competitors. What is a strategically significant customer? We’ve identified four types of strategically significant customer (SSC). Selfevidently, the high life-time value customer is a key SSC. These must be the focus of customer retention efforts. Life-time value potential is the presentday value of all future margins that might be earned in a relationship. Tempting as it may be to believe, not all high volume customers have high LTV. If they demand JIT, customised delivery, or are in other ways costly to serve, their value may be significantly reduced. We know of one company that applied activity-based costing disciplines in order to trace process costs to its customer base. They found that 2 of their 3 biggest customers were in fact unprofitable. As a consequence the company re-engineered its manufacturing and logistics processes, and salespeople negotiated price increases. A second group of strategically significant customers we call ‘benchmarks’. These are customers that other customers copy. A manufacturer of vending machine equipment is prepared to do business with Coca Cola at breakeven. Why? Because they can tell other customers that they are supplying to the world’s biggest vending operation. The third group of SSCs are ‘inspirations’, customers who inspire change in the supplying company. These may be customers who find new applications, come up with new product ideas, find ways of improving quality or reducing cost. They may be the most demanding of customers, or frequent complainers, and, though their own LTV potential is low, they offer other significant sources of value. One insurance company modified its claims process to satisfy one particular car fleet operator; this process eventually became the company’s default standard. The final group of strategically significant customers we call ‘cost magnets’. There are customers who absorb a disproportionately high volume of fixed cost, thus enabling other, smaller customers to become profitable. One oilseed processor, for example, has two major customers, a manufacturer of snack foods which buys oil in bulk and a retail multiple which buys consumer packs. Although they account for 60% of oil-seed processing time, they absorb 85% of fixed costs between them. Five steps to profitable relationships The five steps in the CRM value chain are customer portfolio analysis, customer intimacy, network development, value proposition development and managing the relationship. Although we don’t discuss them here, at each stage of the value chain there are concepts, tools and processes to help create and implement successful strategy. Very briefly, the CPA step analyses the customer base to identify customers to target with different value propositions. The second step involves the business in getting to know the selected customers as segments or individuals and building a customer data-base which is accessible to all those whose decisions or activities impact upon customer attitude and behaviour. Step three involves building a strong network of relationships with employees, suppliers, partners and investors who understand the requirements of the chosen customers. Step four involves developing, with the network’s compliance, propositions which create value jointly for the customer and company. The fifth and final stage is to manage the customer relationship. The focus here is on both structure and process. From observation of failure it is clear that CRM solutions cannot be transplanted into any organisation in the absolute certainty that the business will flourish. For success to happen, CRM needs a supportive culture: it’s unlikely to yield dividends in companies which only pay lip service to customer focus. Neither will it succeed in organisations wedded to product-based structures or reward systems based on sales volume. Similarly, if IT, human resources and procurement processes are not aligned with the CRM agenda, it’s unlikely to flourish. For example, we know one IT company which is trying to implement CRM strategy whilst still recruiting up-and-at-‘em salespeople who are quota driven. Another company is in the throes of a cost-reduction programme and procures least cost inputs to its manufacturing process without due regard to the impact on customer satisfaction and buying behaviour. Customer Portfolio Analysis CPA, the first step in the CRM value chain acknowledges that not all customers have equal value to the company. CPA asks the question: ‘who are our SSCs?’ The answer can be pitched at sector (e.g. food retailing), segment (e.g. food retail multiples) or individual (e.g. Tesco) levels. Companies which have no customer history on which to base their analysis can use segmentation approaches to identify potential SSCs. When CPA has sorted the actual or potential customer base into different groups, they can be taegeted with different value propositions. An important consideration is to analyse and sort by profit potential, not by volume, whether that is by sector, segment or individual. One CPA tool sorts customers into 4 strategic groups: sack, re-engineer, nurture and invest. Sackable customers are those who have no present or future profit potential or life-time value. The ‘invest’ group contains customers who are both valuable currently and have significant future potential. The ‘reengineer’ group contains customers who are not presently profitable but who could become so if the relationship were re-engineered. Options may include reducing the level of customer service, disintermediation, or telesales, rather than face-to-face sales representation. The final segment ‘nurture’ contains those customers who are currently profitable but have little future potential. The task here is to address, possibly in consultation with those customers the reasons for pessimism. It may be that they can jointly find solutions which suggest a more profitable future relationship. Customer intimacy Choosing customers to serve is one thing. Get ting to know them well is altogether different. Most companies collect customer data. Some industries are overwhelmed with information – scanner data, loyalty card data, complaints files, market research, geodemographic data. The challenge is to use the data to better understand the who, what, why, where, when and how of customer behaviour. Mining data intelligently is, of course, a source of huge competitive advantage, and it enables a more refined CPA to be undertaken. Develop the Network Company does not compete against company. Network competes against network. For example, Sainsbury does not compete against Tesco. Their respective networks compete. Tesco’s network, which includes partners such as Royal Bank of Scotland (for its retail banking offer) and Privilege Insurance (for its insurance offer) currently seems to be performing better than Sainsbury’s. A company’s network position i.e. its connectedness to other parties who co-operate in delivering value to the chosen customer, is a source of great competitive advantage. An innovative software house partnering with IBM, for example, enhances its network position. IBM also benefits, as well as their joint customers. Networks consist of partners like these, employees, suppliers and owners/investors. CRM is not a quick fix; it requires owners and investors who will commit to the long-term investment in the people, processes and technology to implement CRM strategies. Employees will probably need reorienting and reskilling, if not redeployment. There is clear evidence that employee performance in moments of truth with customers influences customer satisfaction and purchasing intention. It only takes a short leap of faith to link employee satisfaction to customer satisfaction to business performance. Suppliers also need to understand who the customer is trying to serve. According to the consultants A T Kearney, companies are going to continue vendor reduction programmes over the next several years, as they try to build closer relationships with fewer partner vendors. CRM is becoming twinned with SRM, supplier relationship management. Kearney reckons 20% of current in-suppliers will be de-listed by 2003. For CRM to succeed, the network of suppliers, employees, owners/investors and partners must be aligned and managed to meet the needs of the chosen customers. Value proposition development By the fourth step of the CRM value chain, you will know who you want to serve and will have built, or be in the process of building, the network. Now the network has to work together to create and deliver the chosen value(s) to the selected customers. Great value is found more effective and more efficient solutions of customer problems. Although it is traditional to focus on the product as the main source of value, many companies are finding that people, process and service offer more competitive advantage as products become more commoditised. How things are done with and for customers process is particularly important. There may be small processes, such as how complaints are handled; or big processes, such as how new products are jointly developed with customers. The value star (figure 2) illustrates sources of customer value in a retailing context. Price Managing the relationship For relationships to succeed with strategically significant customers, companies are having to re-invent structures and process. On the way out are hierarchical structures and product managers. Replacing them are flatter organisations with empowered front-lines and customer or market managers. We encourage companies to replace their single marketing strategy with a trio made up of a Customer Acquisition Plan, Customer Retention Plan and Customer Development Plan. Each of these has different metrics from those found in run-of-the-mill marketing strategies. New measures include customer acquisition costs, customer retention rates, share-of-customer and customer development targets alongside more conventional measures such as customer satisfaction and sales volume, and additional measures relating to the performance of network members.. Final thoughts CRM is widely misunderstood by marketing management and seriously misrepresented by software houses. Companies are being sold front-office and back-office solutions, but are missing out on the fundamental, strategic benefits that CRM can provide. CRM at its most sophisticated has the potential to integrate all business processes around the requirements of strategically significant customers, a fact that most IT solutions fail to acknowledge.

Acting For The Camera Film Studies Essay

Acting For The Camera Film Studies Essay The goal of the Meisner technique has often been described as getting actors to Live truthfully under imaginary circumstances. (Silverberg 1994: 45), Critically examine this statement, with reference to at least three different screen dramas. It is the writers belief that to attempt to examine the statement a brief recap on Meisners acting predecessors should be included in this essay. Arguably Stanislavski can be called the foundation of modern acting techniques. Challenging himself to become a better acting practitioner than the melodramatic thespians of his time .Stanislavski found that they didnt form a connection to their character or the other actors and directed their dialogue directly at the audience .Through taking notes and trial and error; he came up with an acting system. He was greatly responsible for the revolutionary change in Russian theatre, making it more accessible to the masses. Many of his principles called upon the actor to draw upon their own experiences and take an analytical approach to the character to be portrayed. He created the If principle, what would you do in a situation out with your experience but is faced by the character. This principle challenges the actor to use their imagination .Stanislavski wanted actors to draw upon their own life experiences to create the truth of their character and not to invent falsehoods. His subsequent students and followers used and developed his techniques. When these teachings crossed continents into America they were altered, whether through linguistic translation or artistic interpretation. Stella Adler was a strong follower of his teachings and travelled to Europe to learn his techniques firsthand. Through working with Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, Meisner built upon the Stanislavski system and developed his own technique. The Meisner technique is about the actors truthful reactions within an imaginary circumstance.Stanislavski`s system comes across as regimented and over analysed with actions /reactions preordained before being performed in comparison. Though there are more similarities than differences of these two practitioners techniques at the core. Both believe that the actors own life experiences should be draw upon to bring truth to their character. By reacting instinctually when in character within the parameters of the text under the imaginary circumstances fresh discoveries can be made. Discoveries about the characters behaviour and the actors subconscious interpretation of their reasoning. Even through intense analysis of the text, these discoveries might not have been brought out through intellectual study. This is the heart of his technique ,finding behavioural truths which freely happen when the actor is in the moment. The ultimate goals of these practices are to bring truthfulness and believability to the character. If the actor takes on this truth of character action /reactions and fully believes it themselves ,then the audience will also. In the theatre it is generally stated that the performance is life compressed onstage but for acting on camera this must be refined. The camera can follow the action up-close and pick up on moments of doubt or an actor going through the motions. The actor isnt banging it out to the cheep seats but striving to produce a condensed realistic piece of acting. The combination of the actors own life experiences and the character`s creates this living real life under imaginary circumstances. My first example of Meisners technique in action on screen was found in the Crying Game (1992) directed by Neil Jordan. A disillusioned member of the Irish republican army tries to drop off the radar and is pursued by fellow agents. After aiding in the kidnapping of a black British soldier ,Fergus forms a bond with his captive and agrees to look up his girlfriend if negotiations for his release fall through. The prisoner Jody escapes but Fergus cant bring himself to shoot his new friend but Jody is tragically killed by his own army when they accidently run him over. Fergus looks up the girlfriend Dil and almost immediately forms a relationship with her. When He discovers that he isnt the only one keeping secrets ,Fergus continues with this affair with his new love. The reveal in the film was shocking at the time as this new love Dil was actually a man. The scene that caught my attention was the kissing scene between Dil and Fergus . When Fergus says to Dil be a good girl, go inside. Dil looks directly into his eyes and replies, only if you kiss me. Fergus is taken aback by the directness of the statement and takes a moment to recover, moving forward to kiss her. He is loving but surprised and confused and it is evident on his face. The confusion that stems from kissing another man is made apparent by the snort Fergus makes and his downplaying of the significance of the kiss by asking, are you happy now? Dils reply, delirious is charged with anger at Ferguss reluctance to embrace his feelings. The scene is important for the way in which the feelings of the characters, rather than the words they say, portray the meaning of the scene. Dil and Fergus moving towards and away from each other, looking at each other but refusing to touch and make physical contact, the awkward and defiant postures they adopt, all show the physical and emotional attraction that exists between them, and Fergus repulsion at the idea of kissing a man. Both are highly emotional and make that emotion available to each other and the audience with only a secondary use of language. The scene is a remarkable achievement for the way in which it portrays the surprise and adventure, and the newness of the experience. The characters appear not to know what will happen, and yet are alive and expectant to what that might entail. They are prime examples of Meisners statement that, the quality of your acting depends on how fully you are doing what you are doing, . The second example is from Moon (2009) directed by Duncan Jones Set in the near future, earth natural recourses have been exhausted and the moon is now being mined. Loan astronaught Sam Bell is isolated and shut off from earth as communication is down. As he approaches the final month of his contract Sam has an accident outside in a moon vehicle. Waking up in the medi lab he slowly starts to realise all is not right when the computer tries to keep him confined. Venturing outside Sam finds the injured Sam and brings him back to the lab. Is Sam loosing his mind or is the company abusing their power by cloning him. Who is the real Sam and will the company let more than one version exist. In the chosen scene for this example the Sam who has been injured and almost completed his term is confronting the newly awaked clone Sam. Injured Sam is still not sure what he is experiencing is real while clone Sam is struggling to work out why this is happening. Even though this is a scene involving the same actor and the interaction are being imposed upon each other ,the momentum is not lost and the technology of the scene doesnt draw focus from the acting.Meisner trained Sam Rockwell gives two wholly believable distinctly different performances in this scene. A man loosing his mind against one who is struggling to maintain his sanity. The battle of wills while they fight over music is well choreographed and an extreme example of acting truthfully under imaginary circumstances. A third example of Meisners technique comes from his own performance in The Story on Page One (1959) directed by Clifford Odets. A married Jo Morris is a woman who is trapped in a loveless marriage to a domineering man who is abusive to their young daughter has an affair .Through a series of unfortunate events her lover Larry Ellis ,accidently kills the husband and they decide to cover up Larry`s presence .What follows is the subsequent trial by the legal system and tabloid press .Larrys domineering mother initially interfered in his budding relationship and causes more problems for the lovers during the trial. In this film, Meisner plays Phil Stanley the prosecuting attorney. After the accidental killing by Gig Young of his lovers husband, Meisner puts on a remarkable performance in the courtroom scenes. In scene after scene, the questioning and cross examination of Gig Young and the other witnesses in the case is carried out convincingly and intensely. Meisners technique, as demonstrated by the three screen performances used as examples in this paper, therefore lives up to Meisners own claim that acting should be to live truthfully under imaginary circumstances. The actors all appear to be reacting to genuine impulses and motivations, guided by their feelings and by compelling motivating factors.

Essay on Homers Odyssey - Comparing Odysseus and Telemachus :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Parallel between Odysseus and Telemachos in Odyssey      Ã‚     In Odyssey, Homer creates a parallel between Odysseus and Telemachos, father and son. The two are compared in the poem from every aspect. One parallel was the quest of Telemachos, in correlation with the journey of his father. In this, Odysseus is developed from a childish, passive, and untested boy, to a young man preparing to stand by his father's side. This is directly connected to the voyage of Odysseus, in that they both lead to the same finale, and are both stepping-stones towards wisdom, manhood, and scholarship.    Through these voyages certain parallels are drawn concerning Odysseus and Telemachos: the physical journeys, the mental preparations they have produced, and the resulting change in emotional makeup. These play an immense role in the way the story is set up, due to the purpose of each character's journey, their personal challenges, and the difficulties that surround them.    As Homer makes it apparent, there are other underlying themes embedded in the story that would just confuse the reader if they were not there. An example of this is the emotional aspects of both characters. If one does not understand this key element, their is no way that the sequence of events would cohere. "Why didn't Telemachos look for his father earlier? Why did Penelope wait twenty years to consider remarrying? How did this affect Odysseus in his journey?".    These are questions that would go unanswered unless the reader reaches within the emotions of the character. In the case of Telemachos, his emotions shaped his well being. For example, had it not been for Athene giving him confidence, by no means would he ever have thought of taking such a voyage, hence, Telemachos would have never participated in his "final test" against the suitors either. His sorrow and anger from the loss of his father and his mother constantly being attacked and proposed to by piranha-like suitors were also driving forces towards his journey.    Some of these are brought out in different situations, both positive and negative, such as Menaleus's mention of his father, which caused a sudden out-burst of tears, and the proud and accomplished feeling he received from leaving Sparta.. Odysseus's situation was only slightly different. He, like Telemachos had his worries about family-life, and his kingdom at stake, but also had concerns about his wife, possibly triggered by the mention of Agamemnon's by Proteus, who was killed by the hands of his own wife.

Animal Farm - Knowledge Is Power Essay -- essays research papers

George Orwell’s novel ‘Animal Farm’ is an allegorical fable of the Russian Revolution. It depicts the Revolution in a way that is inoffensive to people and also very easy to understand. This controversial novel also teaches many valuable lessons, all very true in man’s past and also in the present. In all of man’s histories, there are legends of tyrannical kings and merciless emperors, corrupted with the thirst for ultimate power. Education also played an important role in the subjugation of mankind; the intelligent and educated use their knowledge to undermine and control the naà ¯ve uneducated proletariats. The naà ¯vetà © of an ignorant working class is detrimental to any society; neither communist nor democratic societies are unaffected. Power is a blessing and also a curse, cast upon man and affecting us all, nevertheless, it affects those without power, as well as those with power. All great leaders had and have great power. Power is not biased, it does not make a good leader a good person, but it can make a good person a tyrannical and merciless leader. For example, Adolf Hitler was a great leader, but he was a very bad man. Due to the knowledge, cunning and coaxing of education, leaders can become corrupted and tainted, tainted with the poison of corruption laced in their meal of power and control. Such was what occurred in ‘Animal Farm’; the pigs who were educated gained power and control over Manor Farm, which under the concept of Animalism, they called Animal Farm. Fro...

Adventures of Tom Sawyer Essay

I had often been given a stern warning never to have anything to do with Jim. But whenever Dad repeated that warning, I was never as concerned with the implications of going against the rules, as with the consequences of abiding by them. Besides, I was not so foolish as to be caught crossing the borders because I knew only too well that Dad always meant what he said – or said what he meant – and that no single word from his mouth was meant for the trash can. In other words, I never knew him to beat around the bush as they say; he always hit the snake on the head, whenever he encountered one, that is. â€Å"We’re doing this for your own good,† he always said to us – my brother and I – before ordering us to make sure the house and the compound are as clean as a cow’s nose and cancelling our weekends’ time out with the other neighborhood kids or to the beach. â€Å"Ask Sawyer. † We all loved reading Mark Twain’s â€Å"Adventures of Tom Sawyer† but while my brother and I admired Sawyer, our parents saw the fruits of his mischief as a warning to us. Dad was the one who always spoke, while Mom silently nodded to every word as if Dad was reading the words directly from her mind. Mom never looked directly at us during such sessions. Instead, she looked at Dad all the while only darting a glance now and then from the corner of her eyes. She might have thought her motherliness would get in the way of justice if she ever saw eye-to-eye with either of her sons during those neither-too-long-nor-too-short lecture sessions, which I hated, probably even more than the punishment itself because as soon as they ended, Mom would get the courage to look us in the face and say â€Å"later† with a smile and Dad would wish us â€Å"a great weekend† as they drove off, towards fun. One such day, a Saturday, we discovered that we could take revenge for the punishment. The birds were not singing as joyfully as they used to and the clouds in the sky formed strange animal shapes. We needed something to lift our spirits, so we did the work hurriedly and sneaked out to join our friends from the neighborhood in one of my friend’s house, whose parents had gone on a weekend-long trip. It was party time! No parental guidance. No â€Å"don’t do this†, no â€Å"don’t do that†. Unrestricted freedom! Freedom like we wanted it! Many of our friends brought cans of beer, cigarettes and cigars stolen from their parents’ houses. We played hard rock and danced like little possessed witches and wizards, smoking like steam-engine trains and burning our guts with hard liquor, as if they did not belong to us. Some of my friends and my brother only had a few sips before they saw black and lay down, sprawled like chicken in the sun, while the rest of us, who had four stomachs, continued imbibing like real rockers. It was not long, however, before my eyes created Suzie’s identical twin and the can in my hand saw an opportunity to free itself as the stuff in my stomach erupted like a volcano. The last time I had a glimpse of Suzie, she was hanging in the air, and then someone cut the lights off! I woke up to a strange-looking ceiling – a snow-white ceiling. The smell was strange, too. So was the silence. But the strangest thing was that I felt like I was trapped in a borrowed body. I tried to move my arms and legs, but they were too weak to move. My head felt as heavy as sea sand, too heavy to lift. Someone softly touched my left hand. I turned my head slowly to face Mom and Dad and looked at the clock behind them. It read â€Å"10 0’clock†. Why was I in a hospital bed at ten in the morning? Immediately, my mind raced back. I remembered Suzie and her identical twin sister. No. Suzie did not have any sister, let alone a twin sister. I must have poisoned myself with hard liquor! I had ignored the implications of breaking the rules just to show Suzie I was a real man. I was not sorry for being too foolish to be caught, though. I was sorry because not only had I broke my parents’ rules, but also their hearts. Works Cited Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. California: University of California Press. 2002. Adventures Of Tom Sawyer Essay I will never forget the time I spent with Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and Joe Harper on Jackson’s Island. We have always wanted to become pirates. Now that we have found the exact opportunity – Tom being scolded by Aunt Polly and Joe Harper having been whipped by his mother for tasting sour cream – we decided that it is now time to pursue our dream to become real pirates. In that way, we will be able to live a life of freedom and fame, and the whole town will hear about our names. The people who mistreated us will also feel sorry for what they had done. Our rendezvous is Jackson’s Island, which is three miles below the town of St. Petersburg. We met there at midnight. That became the start of our lives as pirates of the sea. Personally, I loved the idea of running away from home. I never had to go to school anymore. I didn’t need to follow rules anymore. And as Tom promised often, all we will need to do is to steal, kill and get rich. So when midnight came, the four of us met at Jackson’s Island. Each of us came with something stolen. Tom brought stolen ham, Joe had a one sided bacon and Huck had a skillet and some tobacco leaves. I brought stolen matches from my mom’s drawer. I figured that if we would stay long in the Island, we would need fire for our daily needs. Tom applauded me for bringing some matches. In those days, matches are not commonly used in St. Petersburg. Very few people had them. We found a raft about a hundred yards away. So we decided to have some fun with it and as usual, Tom was the captain. He commanded our pirate ship as we all pretended to be real pirates, using terms we have heard from sailors as well as lines from books we have read. We decided to settle in a virgin forest about two hundred yards above the head of the island. There, we spread our belongings and also built a huge bonfire. We cooked our ham, bacon and corn pone by roasting them in the fire. We ate and ate until we were so full. There was nothing like it. If the other boys in the village saw us that way, they would greatly envy us without a doubt. There was nothing like a pirate’s life. After eating, we lay down on the grass and talked for a while. Tom started to tell us stories about pirates – how extravagant they are, and how rich and famous. We started to ask him many questions about becoming a pirate. He simply told us that all we had to do was steal belongings and kill other people. In the midst of the conversation, Huck Finn began to smoke tobacco! I instantly followed him with that activity and smoked tobacco as well. Tom and Joe simply looked silently at us in amazement. For a long time now, they had wanted to learn how to smoke, but never had the opportunity. Only Huck and I could smoke. After much talking, we all fell asleep one by one. That was our first night as â€Å"pirates†. Tom was the first to wake up in the morning. The first thing we did was to strip ourselves off our clothes and bathe in the sea. After that, we got ready for breakfast. Joe began to slice bacon and would have cooked it, but Tom and Huck asked him to wait. I was the one who caught a couple of sun perch and catfish! We instantly cooked those fishes along with the bacon and they tasted so good. Then after eating, we lay down on the sand for a long time. Sadness started to creep in, but nobody dared to speak about it. Nobody wants to be accused of being a chicken heart. I think Tom was starting to feel homesick too, but he didn’t want to show his feelings. Our growing homesickness was interrupted when we saw a ferry boat afar off, shooting cannon over the water. This is a sign that somebody in the village got drowned. Shooting cannons over the water made drowned people come up to the top. For a while we wondered who got drowned, and then Tom suddenly had a brilliant thought. We are the ones who got drowned! The entire village was searching for us. Our parents missed us, and the other boys surely heard about us. The girls we admired are now talking about us too! We spent the rest of the entire day swimming, talking, eating and exploring the island. When night came, everyone went to sleep. When I woke up in the morning, Joe and Huck were still sleeping. Tom, however, was nowhere to be found. I looked at the spot where he slept and found a note. I opened the note and it read like this: â€Å"If I don’t come back by breakfast time, all my things are yours.. † Upon reading this, I woke Joe and Huck and showed them the note. We waited for Tom for about an hour but he never came. Huck supposed that Tom felt homesick and went back to Aunt Polly’s house. However, Joe defended Tom and said that he knew his friend would never do such a disgrace. Tom, according to Joe, knew the code of pirates and he is too proud to quit and go home just like that. I told Joe to start cooking breakfast and if Tom never returned by the time we ate breakfast, all his things will be ours. But just before we started to eat, Tom appeared dramatically and entered the camp. He had some news for us. He had â€Å"spied† on St. Petersburg and discovered that the whole town was talking about us – the lost pirates. If our bodies were not found until Saturday, our funeral will be pronounced that very Sunday. We instantly felt like heroes. Then suddenly I had a brilliant idea. What if we could make a comeback on the day of our funeral? Tom and the other pirates liked it very much. Tom slept until noon and when afternoon came, we started to plan our appearance at our funeral on Sunday. That Sunday, while the entire town mourned for us and as the minister preached his eulogy for the â€Å"dead boys†, we were hiding in an unused gallery behind the church as we listened to everything that was happening. Suddenly, we made our appearance to the crowd. Needless to say, everybody welcomed us dramatically. Our loved ones cried with joy. We were the talk of the town for several months and I will never ever forget it. It was the best day of our lives. Part 2: The Commentary The pirate boys led by Tom Sawyer built a community that they have entirely created amongst themselves. It is a community apart from the regular life they have known at St. Petersburg. We can safely say that Tom, Joe and Huck built their pirate community based on their childhood imagination. As young people in a simple town, where modern industrialized America has not yet fully penetrated, these three boys have an inclination towards idealism. Their idea of a perfect life is total freedom. Thus, they chose to pretend as pirates and imitate the pirate’s code of conduct in order to experience the life that they have always dreamed about. To them, escaping to Jackson’s Island is more of an escape from reality. Although they have romantic idealisms as pirates in a free world, the reality remains that in the town of St. Petersburg, they are children and they are not as powerful as they suppose themselves to be. Tom Sawyer is just a kid who can get whipped by Aunt Polly any time of day. He is a student who needs to go to school and study his lessons. He is part of society. So as we have stated, going to Jackson’s Island is an escape from reality. The boys thought that they can build a community on their own – apart from society, authority and responsibility. This thought is evident in Tom’s opening thoughts in Chapter 13: â€Å"Tom’s mind was made up now. He was gloomy and desperate. He was a forsaken, friendless boy, he said; nobody loved him; when they found out what they had driven him to, perhaps they would be sorry†¦Yes, they had forced him to it at last: he would lead a life of crime. There was no choice. † (Twain, 1876). In the community that the boys built, each one played an important role. Tom was the leader because he was the one who provided the vision and insight about the life of a pirate. So in essence, he was providing direction for all of them. Almost everything they did during their getaway in the island was a product of Tom Sawyer’s imagination – based on what he read from books and his own thoughts and romantic dreams. Joe Harper, meanwhile was more of a follower. He also executes Tom’s orders. It is evident that Joe admired Tom for everything that he was. Joe once said: â€Å"No, Tom’s true-blue, Huck, and he’ll come back. He won’t desert. He knows that would be a disgrace to a pirate, and Tom’s too proud for that sort of thing. He’s up to something or other. Now I wonder what? † (Twain, 1876) Huck, meanwhile, is a symbol of the free life that Tom and Joe have always longed for. Huck didn’t need to go to school. He is a waif, a vagabond and he is not part of society. The other boys envied Huck because he can smoke tobacco while most boys in St. Petersburg – even Tom and Joe – cannot do that act. Although Tom was the leader, we can say that Huck is the role model for the entire community they have built for themselves. If, for Tom and Joe, the island getaway was an escape from reality, it was a normal day for Huck. He was probably used to going to different places all by himself. The simple community of Huck Finn, Joe Harper and Tom Sawyer was similar to adult communities in that they have a single driving force – the desire to live a life of freedom. If we look at history, almost all communities started with that single driving force. In any given community, there should be a leader, a follower and a symbol of inspiration. As these traits are respectively found in each of our characters, we may say that Tom, Huck and Joe are a perfect embodiment of American idealism. Although their deeds were shown in boyish manner, they represent a greater dimension which reflects the reality of adult life. As the saying goes, â€Å"Men are simply boys who grew up†. Works Cited: Twain, Mark (1993). The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer [electronic version]. New York: Project Gutenberg Ebooks. (Original work published 1876)