Moby Dick 2 Essays - Moby-Dick, Ishmael, Captain Ahab, Moby Dick

Moby Dick 2 Moby Dick The moral ambiguity of the universe is prevalent throughout Melville's Moby Dick. None of the characters represent pure evil or pure goodness. Even Melville's description of Ahab, whom he repeatedly refers to "monomaniacal," suggesting an amorality or psychosis, is given a chance to be seen as a frail, sympathetic character. When Ahab's "monomaniac" fate is juxtaposed with that of Ishmael, that moral ambiguity deepens, leaving the reader with an ultimate unclarity of principle. The final moments of Moby Dick bring the novel to a terse, abrupt climax. The mutual destruction of the Pequod and the White Whale, followed by Ishmael's epilogue occupies approximately half a dozen pages. Despite Melville's previous tendency to methodically detail every aspect of whaling life, he assumes a concise, almost journalistic approach in the climax. Note that in these few pages, he makes little attempt to assign value judgements to the events taking place. Stylistically, his narration is reduced to brusque, factual phrases using a greater number of semicolons. By ending the book so curtly, Melville makes a virtually negligible attempt at denouement, leaving what value judgements exist to the reader. Ultimately, it is the dichotomy between the respective fortunes of Ishmael and Ahab that the reader is left with. Herein lies a greater moral ambiguity than is previously suggested. Although Ishmael is the sole survivor of the Pequod, it is notable that in his own way, Ahab fulfills his desire for revenge by ensuring the destruction of the White Whale alongside his own end. Despite the seeming superiority of Ishmael's destiny, Melville does not explicitly indicate so. On the contrary, he subtly suggests that Ishmael's survival is lonely and empty upon being rescued: "It was the devious-cruising Rachel, that in her retracing search after her missing children, only found another orphan." (724) That single instance of the appellation "orphan" as applied to Ishmael speaks volumes when taken in light of the destruction of the Pequod and her crew. Melville's inclusion of Ishmael's survival as an epilogue, a suffix attached to the dramatic destruction of the Pequod, suggests that Ishmael's survival is an afterthought to the fate of Ahab and the rest of his crew. Ishmael's quiet words at the beginning of the chapter, "Why then here does any one step forth? ?Because one did survive the wreck," (723) indicate a deep humility on Ishmael's part. The question is then raised of why Ishmael is the sole survivor. It is clear that Ishmael significantly differs with Ahab concerning their respective perspectives of the White Whale. Ishmael clearly indicates in the chapter "The Try Works" how disagreeable he finds the mission and mentality of those around him: "?the rushing Pequod, freighted with savages, and laden with fire, and burning a corpse, and plunging into that blackness of darkness, seemed the material counterpart of her monomaniac commander's soul." (540) Here, Ishmael breaks his usual detached observancy and boldly divorces himself from Ahab's mission and those whom Ahab has recruited to aid him . Ishmael further distinguishes himself from the rest of the crew by being the sole non-exploiter of whales in general. Melville makes it clear early on that Ishmael initially chooses to ship on the Pequod for the experiential value of whaling. It has been indicated that his outlook on the whale is the only significantly benign one. Whereas Ishmael is terrified by the "whiteness of the whale," Stubb sees economic gain in the valuable whale oil, subtly hinted at by his overbearing gloating upon his first kill. In the harpooneers, we see a violent savageness, even in Queequeg's otherwise loving nature. To Ahab, the whale is a emblem of pure evil. Even prudent, rational Starbuck looks on the whale as a dumb animal, which it is his duty to exploit. The terror that Ishmael perceives is a consequence of his own vague fear of the whale's "nothingness." What Ishmael fears is the mystical, terrifying manifestation of white in the natural world, coupled with its subversion of the sense of purity attached to whiteness in the human world. Ishmael is distinguished from the rest of the crew in his ability to consider the perspectives of the others. In his role as narrator, Ishmael's ability

The New England and Chesapeake Bay Colonies essays

The New England and Chesapeake Bay Colonies essays Both of colonies of New England and Chesapeake Bay are originated from the British Empire, but religious and economical opportunities set them into different courses. Two separate kinds of groups of people went to the colonies of New England and Chesapeake Bay; the religious Puritans occupied New England, while the economical planters settled down in Chesapeake Bay. The location and landform of the two colonies also attributed to the differences between these two colonies. New England and Chesapeake Bay colonies people were different because the Pilgrims, separatist Puritans from the Church of England, established their own government after the founding of their own land, while the Chesapeake Bay colonies to seek economical fortunes. The emigrants that went to New England were mainly big families who went to settle there for the rest of their lives, while the Chesapeake Bay emigrants were majority male, which meant they went to seek economical gain. The Chesapeake Bay Company tried to find gold like the Spanish conquistadors. John Winthrop, leader of the Pilgrims, wanted the New England colony to become the model for the rest of the world, to work together and create an utopian society So shall we keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace...we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. (John Winthrop, A Model of Christian Charity Document A). The government for the colonists in New England was theocracy, which is controlled by the c hurch. Just about everyone had land of his or her own to keep. The people that went to Chesapeake Bay colony searched for gold and were not organized while the New England colony was established right away. The people in Chesapeake Bay colony started fighting after days of getting there because they couldnt find any amount of gold. The disease and laziness of the Chesapeake Bay colony also contributed to their death rate. After figuring out that the Virginian ...

The Concept of Branding in Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Concept of Branding in Marketing - Essay Example The activities they perform in the process of making themselves and their products known are referred to as branding (Hawkins & Coney 2004, 21). Overall, branding is defined as the processes and activities done by a business in the development of a unique image or name for their products and services. Branding is an important process that ensures company products and services stick in the minds of consumers to influence their purchase decisions and preference for company goods and services in place of those of their rivals (Belk 2010, 67). The process of branding in businesses focuses on the establishment of an imperative and differentiated physical and mental presence in the particular market in order to attract and sustain the loyalty of their customers (Hartmann & Apaolaza, 2007, 65).It is important to note that in as much as marketers in business organizations do their best in the production of brands with positive image for their institutions, they often do not decide on the ult imate meaning to the branding itself. In this case, it is imperative to note that the process of branding is not about getting your preferred and target audience to choose your products over those of your rivals; instead, it is about making them see what you can provide as a solution to their various needs. A good branding process in business and its products has to fulfill a number of key goals and objectives.  

Luca Pacioli Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Luca Pacioli - Essay Example I find his Christianity perception of things as a major input as he is seen to believe in number mysticism that claims God owns all numbers. It also means that since God created all figure, they are then his direct words. Summa, one of the works he wrote, brings out the full understanding of double entry book keeping and as well explains how accounting is a part of good accounting business practice. His work has contributed greatly into the contemporary world of accounting as most of the work, especially the bookkeeping, is still used. In addition, some major terms used then such as debit and credit have not had any modification in the more than 500 years since their invention. In addition, his conceptual framework that comprised of the journal, the memorandum, and the ledger is still essential in the modern accounting field. Most modern accounting field concepts rely on his works such as summa, which contains true and fair view, stability, trustworthiness, significance, materiality, understandability, full disclosure, and materiality in accounting practices. His trend in displaying accounting figures by use of charts and graphs enables modern world to have ideas on how to communicate figure in a more understandable way. In conclusion, I would say that Pacioli, just as his â€Å"father of all accounting† depict, is indeed a great figure in the accounting world. If it were not for his understanding and his contribution, even if he did not invent the book keeping method, one cannot imagine how it would have turned out. Also, his books have helped deliver information from centuries ago to the modern word, which has played a significant role and will continue to play long from

A modern audience Essay Example for Free

A modern audience Essay But her marriage to will is all a practical arrangement as she is good at her job and Will is a skilled craftsman. As this partnership moves on the pair become more successful, they manage to pay back Mrs Hepworth the loan she gave then to get started and we see a more romantic side to Maggie as she saves a flower from her wedding day bouquet.  I thought Id press it in my bible  For keep sake A factor about Maggie that would appeal to a modern audience is that she is very intelligent. She controls the accounts and organises everything at Hobsons. She taught Will to read and write, because Will was born into the lower class she was not properly educate and so he was illiterate but Maggie changed that by educating him herself:  Ill just set you a short copy, for tonight.  Maggie is honest and fair, when Albert and Freddy are trying to get more money than they agreed out of Mr Hobson, she knows he cannot afford what they are asking and so she gets them down to a more realistic price:  I know perfectly well what father can afford to pay, and it is not a thousand pounds nor anything like a thousand pounds. Maggie is also humble because she is not afraid to ask for help when she needs it. She asks Mrs Hepworth for money as her and will havent got any from their previous jobs because Hobson didnt pay Maggie and Will came from a lower class and had little pay, all to get married and start up a good business  Weve paid back Mrs Hepworth what she lent us for our start and made a bit o brass on top o that.  At the beginning of the play Will lacked self-confidence and he was poor. He was also a victim of Hobsons exploitation:  What does she want to praise workmen to his face for? But Will is a talented craftsman and a skilled worker which is why Mrs Hepworth complimented him and asked that he makes her shoes in the future:  These are the best-made pair of boots Ive ever had. Now, youll make my boots in future.  This is a great compliment for a working class man because they were not often praised for their work and didnt often do so well. This is a point about Will that would appeal to a modern audience.  Will, like many other working class in the 1880s could not read at the start of the play but due to Maggies help he learns how to read and write. By starting up his own business shows he is a good business man and he pays off Mrs Hepworth the money back she lent the couple to get the business started. Weve paid off Mrs Hepworth what she lent us for our start.  Will is from a working class background; he is one of Hobsons boot hands and suffers social prejudice from Maggies sisters Alice and Vicky but now is near equal class to them but they still see him form a lower class and treat him with a lack of respect  Will Mossop do you know who you are talking to?  As the play progresses Wills confidence increase as he now dares to stand up to Hobson, Alice, Vicky and Maggie  Ill take you into partnership and give you a half share. The Audience may find Wills character comical due to his sayings Well by gum  And make the viewers laugh. When Maggie tells Will she wants to marry him he is a bit worried at tries to back down from the proposal because he did not love her, but they get their partnership up and running and as the story continues he realises that he can learn to love and give Maggie the respect she needs to create a successful business. From the start to the end of the play Will Mossop changes a lot. He went from working in Hobsons cellar to owning his own successful business and being married to Maggie. His main change was that he went from poverty to being a member of the working/middle class. By doing this he has made his way up the social ladder, which was very hard to do in the 19th century. Wills struggle could be compared to a dream going from rags to riches. In my opinion this would be the most important factor about Will that would appeal to a modern audience.  Maggies determination to make a success of hers and Willies marriage and the business that they start would make her popular with a modern audience because she did not really love Will when they were married, but she had to do something to get away from Mr Hobson, her authoritarian father and she also managed to get her sisters married.

Mathematical Impacts :: essays research papers

Mathematical Impacts The art of mathematics is an intrinsic part of the many physical sciences which humanity strives to learn; it began as a way to explain the celestial guides, which became the science of astronomy and astrophysics. This essay will explain the use of math in astronomy, chemistry, physics, and their relation. The study of astronomy is the oldest of the physical sciences it began as an inspiration. For the purpose of this essay, the study will begin with the ancient’s knowledge of this science. They had many different views on how those nocturnal guides worked. Many of these civilizations studied their arrival and departure along with the weather to understand their own existence. Humboldt (1849) stated, â€Å"Physical laws depend upon mean numerical values; which shows us the constant amid change.† This change was the foundation of time, time that would assist in measuring and explaining how those guides work. Boorstin (1985) explains that, â€Å"The first grand discovery was time, the landscape of experience.† He went further with his explanation of how important it was for humans to measure time, if it had been simple, humans would have, â€Å"lacked the incentive to study the heavens and to become mathematicians.† With the use of this curiosity, humans searc hed and learned how they worked. Math had made it possible to understand this aspect of the cosmos, yet there were some differences on how they really worked. The Greeks were the first to â€Å"propose explanations for the motions of astronomical objects that relied on logic and geometry† Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit (2004). Math, helped explain, and defy the beliefs held for many years. The Greeks created a geocentric model, which places the earth in the center of the universe. This was attributed, to Thales (c. 624-546 B.C.), which many other Greeks held to be true even after another Greek named Aristarchus (c. 310-230 B.C.) â€Å"Suggested that the Earth goes around the Sun, a view that ultimately prevailed, but until almost 2,000 years later† Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit (2004). With all of this in mind, the mathematicians who followed these great men of genius will utilize the ideas and mathematical equations in search of the truth. It is important to understand that in order for these new discoveries be found, the evolution of logic, math, and other sciences, which derived from the mathematical ideals of the past. To put it in a better perspective of how these evolutions helped these advancements, it is important to understand that before the discovery of the telescope, calculations and logical premises made the old discoveries.

New York Times Paywall Strategic Considerations Essay

According to Chairman Sulzberger the goal of the paywall was to â€Å"build the Times’s digital subscription base and develop a new robust consumer revenue stream, while maintaining its significant digital advertising business.† Secondary to the constraint of maintaining the ad business was the requirement to maintain social buzz and branding. To begin, the NYT wanted to increase future revenues for the paper and offset the inevitable decline of its print revenue. This, in the short run, was a success. As described in Question #2; this added over $81 million in previously unexploited revenue in just the first year, indicating significant potential for future growth in digital subscription revenue. To maintain the ad business, the paywall could not significantly decrease the digital advertising revenue. For NYT Media Group, and by extension NYT, digital advertising increased by 5.3% in 2011, suggesting that the implementation of the paywall did not reduce digital adverti sing revenue in the short run. However, the NYT quarterly reports (shown in Appendix C) showed the paper’s digital ad revenue decreasing through much of 2012 and early 2013. Additionally, the paywall should not lead to a loss in readers or impressions. According to Exhibit 13 in the case, (and explained further in Question #2), the page visit drop equates to a 21 page per visitor ratio before the paywall to an 18.5 page per visitor ratio after the paywall, roughly a 11% drop in impressions. If the NYT has a pay-per-impression contract with its advertisers, this can mean up to a 11% drop in ad revenue in the long run, calling into question the overall success of the paywall. Finally, the NYT wanted to maintain the social buzz and branding for the paper. They did this by allowing unlimited access to articles if visitors came to the website via search engines or social media. This allowed people to read and be aware trending articles coming from the paper and keep their brand visible.. Overall, the paywall was working at the time of the case. It successfully registered significant numbers of readers willing to pay for the service. The paywall policy added a consistent revenue stream while maintaining leisure readers and promoting its online social presence. Whether the paywall will work in the long run will be determined by the revenue from subscriptions outpacing the loss of advertising revenue. 2. Is the New York Times paywall well-designed? Is it  priced right? Financially, paywall design is a basic supply vs. demand problem where the NYT optimizes revenues from online subscriptions against the advertising dollars lost. In the months before the paywall was instituted, the NYT site had approximately 715 million page views per month (adjusted to 30 day month). As soon as the paywall took effect, page views dropped to approximately 635 million as readers moved to other sites (Appendix A). This equates to an 11% drop in ad impressions within an industry seeing growing viewership. Therefore, we assume that online ad revenues decreased by approximately 11% after the paywall went into effect (decrease in online ad revenues of $23.68M off a base of $211.68M in 2011). Conversely, the 390,000 online subscriptions brought in $81M (at $4 per subscription), more than enough to make up for the loss in ad revenues. From this perspective, the paywall was a striking success. In addition, our team performed a conjoint analysis to help determine how customers value the various features and workarounds for the subscription paywall, and to evaluate whether the NYT could further optimize its pricing structure (Appendix B). In this analysis, we examined weekly subscription price ($8.75 vs. $3.75), paywall design (initial free article limit of 0 or 20), subscription leakiness (ability to access articles around paywall via social networks, etc.), and platform availability (subscription for all devices at once or tiered fee per device). This analysis confirmed our intuition that consumers are most sensitive to the price of the subscription. We also found that consumers are unlikely to value a subscription if they can get 20 free articles upfront. This is a much bigger determinant of whether and how much a customer will pay for a subscription than the possibility of getting free articles through their soci al network or other referral means. Based on this, the NYT would be able to charge an additional $2.37 if they were to stop offering 20 free articles per month and an additional $1.01 per subscription if they stopped allowing leaks to their paywall. However, making these changes would reduce page views and would have to be balanced against losses in ad revenues. Another way the NYT could raise revenues is to reduce the cost of an all device subscription. Based on the average subscription cost of $4.00, very few customers are opting for the all-platform subscription. However, our  analysis shows that customers are willing to pay $5.46 ($3.75 base subscription plus $1.71 in additional value) for a subscription open to all platforms. Making this change could add $29.6M in revenue if all customers took this deal while increasing subscriber page views due to increased access. 3. What is the long-term goal of the New York Times in creating the paywall? To understand the future of the NYT paywall, we looked at the newspaper’s recent trends in advertising and circulation revenues. In 2011, NYT Media Group derived 45% of its revenues from circulation and 49% from advertising (Exhibit 2). The NYT has seen a steady decline in print and digital advertising and recently reported that the paper â€Å"generated $900 million in ad revenue [in 2012], compared with $2 billion in 2002.† [1] Its print subscriber base is not faring much better. The Sunday Times saw a 10% drop in print subscribers by 0.15M from 2007 to 2011. The weekday NYT print circulation dropped 17.43% and the Saturday Times declined by 10% over the same period. Despite this, print subscribers still account for about 84% of the paper’s circulation revenue. [2] Digital subscriptions have seen strong growth since 2011. According to the Q2 2013 NYT earnings report, â€Å"Paid subscribers to The Times†¦ digital-only subscription packages, e-readers and r eplica editions totaled about 699,000.†[3] This represents a 35% year-over-year increase since 2012 and a 79% increase since Dec 2011. Based on these trends, we can conclude that digital circulation will play an important role in the future of the NYT. The long-term goal of the NYT paywall is to build a permanent digital subscription base. To make digital circulation effective, the NYT needs the paywall. Why would subscribers pay for digital access if they can get it for free? It is interesting to note that in March 2012, the NYT reduced the free access threshold from 20 articles to 10 – and in the following year, it expanded its digital customer base by 35%. Digital circulation cannot single-handedly support The Times going forward. The paper must rely on a mix of revenue streams and the print edition (and the decreased ad revenue it brings in) will continue to be a major source of income. The price of the print edition has skyrocketed in recent years from $0.75 in 2001 to $2.50 in 2013. We wonder if a more secure  paywall might also allow similar future price increases in the digital realm. 4. Will newspapers transition to all digital? How should the New York Times manage a transition to the new world of content provision? Despite the mainstream use of iPads and other electronics for consuming news, the printed newspaper is still in demand. In 2011, NYT newspaper sales made up 45% of the annual revenue. This is attributed to a strong segment of readers who still prefer the hardcopy of the paper. The overall trend still suggests that news is rapidly moving towards the digital form, perhaps eventually transitioning to an all-digital platform. The transition to fully digital will likely not happen within the next five years based on the print subscription trends from 2007 to 2011, but the NYT must be prepared to manage its revenue sources as circulation diminishes. The NYT has three main revenue streams – advertising (both digital and print), subscriptions, and other ventures. Together, advertising and subscriptions made up 94% of the revenue in 2011. In this largely digital age, only 28% of the advertising revenue stems from digital ads. To evaluate the NYT strategy to transition to digital news, we must determine the newspaper’s profitability today and in the future. Our analysis focuses on the NYT Media Group, rather than the whole company which includes other newspapers and ventures. In 2011, the Media Group comprised of 67% of the company’s revenues so we assume the operating costs are proportional. We also assume that operating costs include production costs and SG&A, and ignore depreciation and amortization for this analysis (Appendix F). Based on our scenario planning, which varied the percentage of print and digital subscriptions and ads, we conclude that the NYT is profitable today and will continue to be profitable despite the shift towards the digital platform. While overall revenues from ads and circulation decrease (as the rate of digital subscriptions cannot make up for the loss in print), the operating cost of running production decreases. If the news become completely digital in the future, the NYT must focus on driving online subscriptions and ads. 5. Would a paywall work for all newspapers? For other content providers? If not, what other strategies would work? The paywall may not work for all newspapers. In some cases like the NYT, the paywall model worked, but the same strategies may not apply to other newspapers. The successful was largely due to the NYT strategic positioning and ability to attract a large number of unique visitors (~33 million) and page views ( ~600-700 million) as compared to those of USATODAY.COM, WASHINGTONPOST.COM, WSJ.COM, etc. (~5-15 million, ~80-150 million respectively). Other key reasons for its success included the steady increase in the online newspaper traffic, past experience in digital subscriptions, low marginal cost in adding customers for its digital subscription, and external reasons such as launch of IPad in 2008 which improved the user experience for reading digital content. Other newspaper such as The Washington Post, Scientific American, and the Economist have succeeded with the paywall because of their specialized content. According to US newspaper industry report in 2009, 5000 players in this ind ustry operated for total annual revenues of $35 billion but the top 50 firms accounted for more than 75% of the revenue. For the remaining firms, implementing a paywall could be significantly destructive to their business as customers would go elsewhere. Therefore, a newspaper firm has to be strategic if it wants to introduce paywall in its revenue stream. Not every content provider can have successful paywall. Some strategies that have been defined earlier can work in their favor. Other strategies include the BostonGlobe vs. Boston.com strategy. One has high quality content with great user expereince (paid service of 99 cents for 4 weeks) and the other has free low quality content. Another model is the Metro; free widely distributed newspaper at metro stations. Hulu.com provides free content for a limited time and moves other content to Hulu Plus. Netflix.com allows access to TV shows and movies anytime with flat rate subscription cost. Appendix A – Chart describing data presented in Question 2 Appendix B – Output from Regression Analysis in Excel Appendix C – Selected NYT Financial Information from 2012-2013 The below excerpts came from the NYT Media Group’s investor reports found here: http://investors.nytco.com/investors/financials/quarterly-earnings/default.aspx Q213: Print and digital advertising revenues decreased 6.8 percent and 2.7 percent. Q113: Print and digital advertising revenues decreased 13.3 percent and 4.0 percent. Q412: Print advertising revenues decreased 5.6 percent and digital ad revenues rose 5.1 percent. Q312: Print and digital advertising revenues decreased 10.9 percent and 2.2 percent. Q212: Print and advertising revenues decreased 8.0 percent and by 4.0 percent. Q112: Print and digital advertising revenues decreased 7.2 percent and 10.3 percent. Q411: Print and digital advertising revenues fell by 8 percent and 5 percent. Appendix D – References for Question 3 [1] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/business/media/a-leaner-times-aims-for-global-growth.html?_r=0 [2] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/business/media/a-leaner-times-aims-for-global-growth.html?_r=0 [3]http://investors.nytco.com/investors/investor-news/investor-news-details/2013/The-New-York-Times-Company-Reports-2013-Second-Quarter-Results/default.aspx Appendix E – Forecast Figures on NYT Profitability based on % Figure 1: Forecast of the NYT Total Revenue, Total Operating Costs, and Operating Profit as digital circulation and advertising increase while paper circulation and advertising decrease. Assumptions are listed in Appendix F. Figure 2: Detailed breakdown of advertising revenue from digital and print as the NYT transitions towards all digital. The year 2030 was chosen to determine the NYT’s strategy to become an all digital news provider. Appendix F – Assumptions made to evaluate NYT profitability for the future 1. Depreciation and amortization were not included in calculating profitability. 2. Advertising revenues continue to decline at the same rate as 2008 – 2011. 3. Print subscriptions continue to decline at the same rate as 2008 – 2011, calculated by summing the Sunday and weekday subscriptions while subtracting out the Saturday subscriptions to make up the overlap. 4. The average cost of the paper subscriptions is $10.50 (unweighted by popularity of subscription type) and the average cost of the paywall is $5.80 (not discounted by sign up offers and one-time discounts). 5. The percentage of revenue from digital ads grows by 5% from 2012 to 2016 as the NYT shifts toward a digital platform. The assumed 5% growth is conservative based upon online readership and unique visitors on the site. 6. The cost of production is directly related to the number of paper subscriptions. The production can be scaled down when demand is reduced. 7. The revenue from circulation declines at 0.7% from 2012 to 2016 because the loss of print subscribers outweighs the increase of digital subscribers.