Design Of Enterprise It Solution Big Bazaar Information Technology Essay

Design Of Enterprise It Solution Big Bazaar Information Technology Essay Big Bazaar is a chain of hypermarkets in India, with more than 100 stores in operation. It is a subsidiary of Future Group Venture Ltds, and follows the business model of United States-based Wal-Mart. Big Bazaar, is the chain of retail stores of the big banner Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd., which in turn is a segment of the Kishore Biyani, regulated Future Group of Companies. Moreover the customer friendly ambiance and the organized retailing of products also make Big Bazaar one of the successful retail companies in India. 1. Big Bazaar: Overview Big Bazaar hypermarket is offering a huge array of goods of good quality for all at affordable prices. Big Bazaar has no doubt made a big name in the retail industry of India, moreover shopping here is further made a memorable experience with the varied rates of discounts on products as well as discount vouchers available in a variety of amounts, like INR 2000, INR 3000, INR 4000, INR 5000 and INR 10000 on all Big Bazaar products and accessories. 1.1 Product range in Big Bazaar This large format store comprises of almost everything required by people from different income groups. The added advantage for the customers shopping in Big Bazaar is that there are all time discounts and promotional offers going on in the Big Bazaar on its saleable products. 1.2 Significant Features of Big Bazaar Shopping in the Big Bazaar is a great experience as one can find almost everything under the same roof. It has different features which caters all the needs of the shoppers. Some of the significant features of Big Bazaar are: 1.3 Big Bazaar- Objective In this new era, design is helping companies to sell differentiated experiences and solutions that connect with the consumers emotions. Its not just the matter of selling products and services nor just completing transactions in the need to achieve targets. Every customer is an opportunity to build a relationship and invite the customer to become a part of the new transformational scenario. Design management is helping us position the customer at the centre of every decision we take and also operate with true entrepreneurial spirit. 1.4 Big Bazaar- Target customers Big Bazaar targets higher and upper middle class customers because there has been growth in Indian middle class that has so far been used to buying apparel and groceries from small and cluttered unorganised shops is fast realizing the joys of visiting malls that have redefined the freedom to shop and entertain. Such malls are the new temples of leisure and weekend entertainment. 1.5 Food Bazaar Food Bazaar (Future Group) is a Private Sector Organisation that offers services in Retail with Annual Total Turnover of 250-500 Crores and with Employee Strength of 501-1000. 2. Vision and Mission 2.1 Vision Future Group shall deliver everything, everywhere, every time for every Indian Consumer the most profitable manner. 2.2 Mission We share the vision and belief that our customers and stakeholders shall be served only by creating and executing future scenarios in the consumption space leading to economic development. We will be trendsetters in the evolving delivery format, creating retail realty, making consumption affordable for all customer segments- for classes and masses. We shall infuse Indian brands with confidence and renewed ambition. We shall be efficient and cost conscious and committed to quality in whatever we do. We shall ensure that our positive attitude, sincerity, humility and united determination shall be the driving force to make us successful. 3. Organisation Chart 4. EXISTING ARCHITECTURE of IT System(Hardware) The company maintains a 3 tier architecture. Figure 1 Source: www.cardisoft.eu 4.1 Client: The client represents the face of IS, through which data relating to various retail operations could be keyed in and data stored in database can be extracted. It constituted the Terminals at the counters. 4.2 Application Server: The middle tier will comprise of clustered servers also called transaction servers, as they facilitate transactions taking place in the big bazaar. This is essential for the system to handle high workloads, especially during peak hours. The middle tier will serve as an interface between the clients and the database. The application server runs on a Dell Server. 4.3 Database Server: The database server will receive and process queries received from the middle tier transaction servers. All the data will be stored in this database server. The database server is located in Mumbai. The system runs on a HP Super dome server on HP UNIX 11i and the database is from Oracle. 4.4 Inventory management: For this bar-coding is used. Around 80 bar-coding machines are used in Calicut Big bazaar branch. 4.5 Personnel management: For this attendance swapping machines are in place to keep track of in and out time of employees. Also an IT system, called the PECK system, is used for automatic ordering of items whose stock goes below a minimum prescribed level. The reorder level depends on the Minimum Base Quantity (MBQ). Suppose, MBQ = 10 Reorder level = 5 Now, whenever the quantity of this item in stock goes below 5, an automatic purchase order is sent to the centralised warehouse. 5. ANALYSIS OF THE EXISTING IT INFRASTRUCTURE 5.1 SAP ERP (R/3) The SAP ERP application is an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) software manufactured by SAP AG that targets business software requirements of midsize and large organizations in all industries and sectors. It allows for open communication within and between all company functions for Big Bazaar. With the advent of distributed client-server computing SAP AG brought out a client-server version of the software called SAP R/3 (The R was for Real-time data processing and 3 was for 3-tier). This new architecture is compatible with multiple platforms and operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows or UNIX. This opened up SAP to a whole new customer base like retail market such as Big Bazaar. SAP R/3 was arranged into distinct functional modules, covering the typical functions in place in an organization. The most widely used modules were Financials and Controlling (FICO), Human Resources (HR), Materials Management (MM), Sales Distribution (SD), and Production Planning (PP). Each module handles specific business tasks on its own, but is linked to the others where applicable. For example, an invoice from the billing transaction of Sales Distribution of Big Bazaar would pass through to accounting, where it will appear in accounts receivable and cost of goods sold. 5.2 Technology of SAP ERP(R/3) SAP based the architecture of R/3 on a three-tier client/server as stated above in infrastructure. Client Server Application Server Database Server 5.2.1 Client Server The Client server is actually a program named sapgui.exe. It is usually installed on a users workstation. To start it, the user double-clicks on an icon on the desktop or chooses a menu path. When started, the presentation server displays the R/3 menus within a window. This window is commonly known as the SAPGUI, or the user interface (or simply, the interface). The interface accepts input from the user in the form of keystrokes, mouse-clicks, and function keys, and sends these requests to the application server to be processed. The application server sends the results back to the SAPGUI which then formats the output for display to the user. 5.2.2 Application Server An application server is a collection of executable s that collectively interprets the ABAP/4 (Advanced Business Application Programming / 4th Generation) programs and manages the input and output for them. When an application server is started, these executable s all start at the same time. When an application server is stopped, they all shut down together. The number of processes that start up when you bring up the application server is defined in a single configuration file called the application server profile. Each application server has a profile that specifies its characteristics when it starts up and while it is running. For example, an application server profile specifies number of processes and their types, amount of memory each process may use, length of time a user is inactive before being automatically logged off. The Application layer consists of one or more application servers and a message server. Each application server contains a set of services used to run the R/3 system. Not practical, only one application server is needed to run an R/3 system. But in practice, the services are distributed across more than one application server. This means that not all application servers will provide the full range of services. The message server is responsible for communication between the application servers. It passes requests from one application server to another within the system. It also contains information about application server groups and the current load balancing within them. It uses this information to choose an appropriate server when a user logs onto the system. The application server exists to interpret ABAP/4 programs, and they only run there-the programs do not run on the presentation server. An ABAP/4 program can start an executable on the presentation server, but an ABAP/4 program cannot execute there. If your ABAP/4 program requests information from the database, the application server will format the request and send it to the database server.cvb. 5.2.3 Database Server The database server handles the users request for addition, retrieval and modifications in the data. The system runs on a HP Super dome server on HP UNIX 11i and the database is from Oracle. It is located in Mumbai and centrally stores data for each Big Bazaar in these small cities. 5.3 Implementation of SAP ERP SAP ERP in Big Bazaar consists of several modules including: utilities for marketing and sales, field service, product design and development, production and inventory control, human resources, finance and accounting. SAP ERP collects and combines data from the separate modules to provide the Big Bazaar with enterprise resource planning. Although there can be major benefits for Big Bazaar of SAP ERP, the implementation and training costs are expensive. It has overcome with problems when implementing SAP ERP software, such as: failing to specify their operation objectives, absence of a strong commitment or positive approach to change, failing to deal with organizational differences, failing to plan the change to SAP ERP properly, inadequate testing. All these factors which cause unsuccessful implementation of SAP ERP didnt affect in Big Bazaar and it came successfully in overcoming them. SAP ERP is implemented correctly in BIG BAZAAR due to which it has gone from its old calculations system to a fully integrated software package. Potential benefits that it had gained from it are efficient business process, inventory reduction, and lead time reduction. An integral part of the implemented IT infrastructure is the SAP Enterprise Resource planning system. The package has a range of functions and provides a range of benefits to the company in the following areas: 5.3.1 Billing System The company has successfully implemented an ERP system with a comprehensive set of accounting applications. This helps in integrating the cost, profit, and revenue information of sales that are made, and presents in a granular way. The system is a very robust one that has failed only once in the past 3 years. 5.3.2 Inventory Replenishment Inventory management is a very critical function for a store like Big Bazaar that deals with a variety of products involving wide categories like FMCG, Staple items, fruits, vegetables, footwear, etc. All these different products required different levels of inventory. A dating structure is set up based on the past data for each data which allows the company to be informed of when their inventory should be updated. This is important, because it allows the company to keep close track of their stock and helps maintain communication simple between different units of the supply chain management 5.3.3 Order Tracking On the business side ERP is useful in order tracking. When the company receives orders for a product, being able to properly track the orders allows the company to get detailed information on their customers and marketing strategies. If different software packages are being used, this data may not be consistent. 5.3.4 Customer Relationship Management ERP is highly useful in Customer Relationship Management as it helps in providing the best customer services by immediately attending the customer queries and with timely delivery of products. All customer delays have been effectively removed by the implementation of the ERP system as it aids in resolving the customer payments well before the scheduled deadline. 6. Why Outsourcing? The reasons which drove Big Bazaar to outsource to Wipro Technologies are: Big Bazaar is a fully centralized system in integration with the Mumbai Head office. The payment of all the stakeholders are been done through Mumbai branch. A message is triggered to the Mumbai Head Office the instant the inventory level falls below a minimum prescribed level; the optimum quantity is being supplied to maintain the Maximum Base Quantity (MBQ). To maintain this dynamism across all the outlets and to gain the benefits of volume discount, a sophisticated IT system is required. The core competency of the Big Bazaar is in retailing and this application system is a support-oriented information resource management (as in Mac Farlans Strategic Grid). Hence, outsourcing was a viable option for Big Bazaar on account of the following reasons: Access to higher professionalism Risk of inappropriate IT architecture is reduced. Maintenance of skilled staffs is not needed and the management can concentrate on the core business activities. Subscribing is relative cheaper compared to purchasing a new technology. In addition, outsourced vendor would upgrade to new technology as and when needed. 7. Vendor Selection Process Big Bazaar was diligently involved in the selection of the vendors to outsource. The steps it took to finalize the vendor were as follows: They identified the requirements (functional and non-functional) and prepared an exhaustive list of the vendors software available in the market. 2. They narrowed down the list of vendors based on the non-functional requirements. The list included Wipro, Infosys, Patni Computers, TCS, etc. 3. They sent the Request of proposal (RFP) to the prospective vendors asking for information relevant to their service capabilities across a spectrum that includes financial, technical, and operational information. 4. Based on the responses of the vendors, they selected WIPRO for outsourcing. 8. Advantages Disadvantages of Existing IT Structure 8.1 Advantages The advantages of such an infrastructure can be concluded as follows: Scalability The architecture deployed currently has been modelled to facilitate the scale of operation of the company. For instance the application servers can be deployed on many machines. Also, the database no longer requires a connection from every client it only requires connections from a smaller number of application servers. In addition, many Transaction Processing Monitors could be used to balance loads and dynamically manage the number of application server(s) available. Better Reuse A replication of the same logic can be initiated from many clients or applications. Since the method of operation is standardized across all the outlets so a mechanism which can be replicated at less cost, reduces complexity and leads to optimum utilization of the resources. Improved Security Implementation of security mechanisms at multiple levels (not just the database) improves the security level. Security can be granted on a service-by-service basis. The placement on a very secure central server makes the business logic more secure. Reduced Distribution Any new policy changes like discount offers and other incentives can be easily incorporated to the complete business logic by simply updating a few application servers and do not have to be implemented individually across all the clients. Improved Availability The operations associated with the organization require the system to support numerous transactions, at the time of high sales. Such situations make use of redundant application servers and redundant database servers. Thus, it is possible to architect an application which can recover from network or server failures. Hidden Database Structure In order to facilitate the simultaneous transparent database changes, the actual structure of the database is hidden from the caller. Hence, it is possible that a service in the middle tier that exchanges information/data with other applications could retain its original interface while the underlying database structure was enhanced during a new application release. 8.2 Disadvantages Along with the advantages of the IT Infrastructure, some disadvantages also exist: Inventory management Systems inefficacy often leads to problems: Big bazaars inventory management inventory, centrally connected to its head office, has often led Big Bazaar into big troubles including recent example of Sabse Sasta Din (On the eve of Republic Day) where many of its stores had to shut after overwhelming demand and insufficient inventory. This failure in inventory management caused Big Bazaar huge revenue loss as well as bad publicity. Centrally managed system has its disadvantage too. The staff at its outlet has negligible knowledge of its IT infrastructure details. They generally lack the skills to treat the problems at their own. As all the control lies with Mumbai head office, thus in case any problem arises in system, either the store manager has to take help from its outsourcing partner or Head office IT team. The time delay in the procedure often cost it a substantial amount of business. Big Bazaar IT infrastructure lags as compare to its global competitors (who are set to enter Indian Markets) in terms of effectiveness of its Data Mining system. The data mining system enables the retailer to critically analyze and select its consumer segments and its specific needs and thus coming up with schemes to target them. Although existing customer billing system is very robust (failed only once in last 3 years: Kozhikode outlet), it often turns into bottleneck leading to longer queues and thus increased service time. The problem becomes worse during peak customer hours and the system proves to be Achilles heel during above estimated demands (recently in Sabse Sasta Din offer; 26 Jan 2011). 9. Security at Big Bazaar IT System In recent years, the retail sector has become the targets of spear phishermen, a particularly devious and hard to detect targeted attack, according to the cyber security firm Message Labs Intelligence. In a targeted attack, cybercriminals go after only a few individuals within a particular company in the hopes of compromising the individuals machine and gaining access to sensitive data, intellectual property, or confidential internal systems. IP surveillance and automation is very difficult in retail sector, hence most retailers take other measures to ensure a secure network like backups of all application data, operating system, databases and files were taken on a daily basis onto tape drives and even on disk. All the backup media was stored offsite on a daily basis. Weekly and monthly backup tapes are stored at remote locations. If the OS or application software conks off, data can be restored by reinstalling the concerned software and retrieving the latest data backup. IT Security in Big Bazaar Currently 10. Business Process Model The business process model elaborates the individual processes involved in servicing the customer and the areas where IT plays an integral role in servicing the customer. Fig: Business Process Model of Big Bazaar The key processes involved in the completion of a transaction at Big Bazaar could be described as follows: The customer selects an item to buy The customer places the order The order is then processed when the customer makes the payment If the payment is correct then the inventory level of the corresponding item is reduced by one and the transaction is complete However if the payment is not correct then the customer is intimated regarding the problem. If the customer still wishes to complete the transaction then he pays the appropriate amount else he decides to cancel the order if he does not have enough cash at disposal After the inventory level is reduced by one, it is checked if the current inventory level is critical If the inventory level is not critical then the transaction can be considered to be totally complete and the system is prepared for the next transaction. However, if the inventory level is critical i.e. based on the MBQ system, an automatic reorder procedure is activated This involves sending out a request for invoice order and another one for shipping order Once the invoice data is validated with the accounts department, the invoice is raised and forwarded Once the invoice order is complete, the items are packed and then shipped from the suppliers to the warehouse which stores the inventory Once the inventory has been received at the warehouse, the inventory level is updated From the above description it can be observed that IT plays a crucial role in three key areas namely Payment Processing, Inventory Management and Managing accounting information. Payment processing software records the payments received from the customers and keeps track of the sales amount generated on a day to day basis to understand the customer behaviour. The role of IT in Inventory management is critical in ensuring automatic replenishment of the inventory whenever the quantity goes below the critical level. Finally the accounting system has to make sure that all the goods received and the invoices generated are in correspondence and to detect and prevent anomalies that might arise out of errors committed both intentionally and unintentionally into ballooning into a huge problem for the company. It is important that the above systems are properly in place for the efficient functioning of the day to day business activities. 11. Logical Design of Big Bazaar In the logical diagram various processes are shown with the help of entities and their attributes. Various entities that are used in Big Bazaar are so linked with each other. Fig: Logical Diagram of Big Bazaar Following is the brief introduction about each entity and its attribute: HO Site: it is central point in the database unit, which controls all the departments. It controls various operations like maintaining inventory, organizing suppliers, and giving salaries to employees and billing to the customers. HO Employee: It defines the employees who will operate the HO site. They can make changes in the database of the product, and can even define new levels of cut off points for both inventory and shelf. Employee: It defines all the employees working in various departments. This entity will be accountable for their salaries, their performance, their timings and their attendance. All the incentives will be decided after seeing the performance graph of the employee, which will be generated through the DBMS. Product: This entity will define all the information about the product. It will tell the cost of the product, its unique ID code, its supplier, its self life. Supplier: As there are too many suppliers in the market who will be supplying their products to big bazaar. This entity will help to maintain their database. It will tell about the supplier name, location, product supplied by him, and about billing of the supply. Purchase rec.: This will tell about the purchase record of a particular product by the customer. It will tell the name of customer who purchased the product, date of purchasing, quantity purchased etc. Customer: The end point of the business is customer. To create the database of the valuable customers, you should know name, address, and product in what quantity they purchase. Inventory: It is the store where all the products are placed before bringing them to the shelf. The supplies directly come to the inventory. 12. Use Case Diagram The major actors in this use case diagram are: Customer Kozhikode branch employee Mumbai Head office employee Supplier The customer selects the goods he wants to buy and goes to the counter where the customer pays the amount. The employee at the counter enters the data in the database which is updated on the continuous basis. This database in turn is connected to the Mumbai database. Thus the entry made by the Kozhikode employee gives the inventory, sales etc status of the Kozhikode branch to the head office. Next, Mumbai head office checks the inventory level of the stock and if found to be below minimum base quantity level, then order is placed to the supplier regarding the same. The suppliers get the order request from the head office through the centrally connected database. All other functions of the Kozhikode branch are carried out in a similar manner. Fig: Use Case Diagram 13. Module distribution Diagram of Big Bazaar The value chain across which Big Bazaar operates is as shown below. First the vendor selection takes place. Than the centralized planning and merchandising is done for each of these stores according to the demand. Then the procurement of the goods takes place according to the forecast and plan. The goods are then distributed to each of the city branches. Then it is sold to the customers where the value chain is completed. We can divide these into four different categories. They are Planning, Store management, Buying and Supply Chain. For planning the modules of SAP used are supply Chain Management, Production Planning and Sales and Distribution. For store management Customer Relationship management, Sales and Distribution Management, Material Management and Customer Service modules are used. For Buying Supplier Relationship management and Material management modules are used. And for supply chain activities Sales and distribution, Logistics and Logistics Execution modules are used. Fig: Module Distribution Diagram of Big Bazaar 14. Scope of Improvement Despite the various advantages that IT infrastructure has bestowed on Big Bazaar, there is still a varied scope of improvement that the organization can employ: Big Bazaar can update the technology system by implementing WMS with RFID, Customer intelligence and CRM, Inventory and Promotions Optimization. On account of the heavy rush on the weekends and the festival season, the available number of terminals is unable to meet the demand quickly. Hence, the customers have to wait in queue for longer period. However, there are certain floors wherein the terminals are idle as the demand for those items are not that high. Hence, the firm can decide to exchange the location of computers from less used areas to highly used ones. 15. Recommendations 15.1 Improving Warehouse Management by strategic use of IT Big Bazaar faces many challenges. Not only it has to manage and coordinate a large number of local, regional, across complex supply chains but also the customers demand an increasingly large variety of products and faster deliveries, which often means that it has to hold smaller quantities of a larger range of SKUs. To satisfy customer demands and execute on its business strategies, you need a complete and accurate picture of where inventory is deployed and of its movement across the supply chain network. At the same time, you need to keep supply chain costs low, especially given fuel costs. Optimizing transportation management and synchronizing it with warehousing plans to meet fluctuating customer demands and store needs -is essential to competing successfully when margins are tight. Warehouse management can be further refined by the application of RFID technology. RFID will help Big Bazaar to align and optimize its task execution -which will include its loading time, sequence, and use of staging areas and bays with the supply chain events that occur outside of the warehouse. This use of technology can be easily integrated with the SAP Supply Chain Management (SAP SCM) application, which provides an integrated supply chain solution. In the long run it will provide the necessary visibility and control needed to optimize logistical execution for competitive advantage. There is a lot of scope for improvement in warehouse management. The direct tangible benefits that Big Bazaar will accrue are with the following components: Re-Defining a Complete Warehousing Plan- Optimizing warehousing as part of a demand-driven supply chain model, with a comprehensive plan to manage activities every step of the way. Order Management Integration of the new SAP EWM with existing SAP ERP for comprehensive order management. Warehouse Planning and Inventory Tracking and Tracing Once you define the high-level plan, you can focus on optimizing activities within each supply chain location. Support for cross-docking enables a direct flow from goods receipt to goods issue. The application also supports the tracking and tracing of inventory down to granular levels of detail -information needed to initiate recalls. RFID technology makes these tasks more efficient and ensures accuracy. Material Flow System SAP EWM offers complete material flow control without additional software allowing all programmable logic controllers to be connected to SAP EWM via remote function call (RFC) adaptors. To help ensure that goods keep moving inside the warehouse and to avoid unnecessary (and costly) manual intervention, the system offers high performance. That level helps ensure that a carton can be scanned, compared to the expected size and weight, and have a determination made about where it should be sent in less than a second. Tracking and Management of Warehouse Activities SAP EWM provides enhanced monitoring features for tracking and managing warehouse activities. A warehouse cockpit provides an overview of key processes, costs, schedules, and value added services. This real-time visibility helps you manage daily operations and optimize the use of labour. You can plan ahead for upcoming activities, assign resources to tasks, and identify ways to minimize time per process step or eliminate steps. With SAP Extended Warehouse Management and RFID Technology application, Bi

Classic Post-Modernist Writers

Charles Dickens. Thomas Hardy. Joseph Conrad. During their time, they were considered to be realists because they shape their readers’ perceptions of the world. In doing so, their writings are described to be modern and post-realist. This paper will discuss their approaches and on how their works, which we discussed this semester, are classic masterpieces simply because these transcend over time. Post-realism in literature is done when subjects are depicted on the page as how they are in daily life. There is no interpretation and embellishment.They reveal the mundane truth. Most of the time, in post-realism, these truths are ugly and sordid. Therefore, during the 20th century, when these writers came up with their works, they were often criticized for discussing subjects at that time were deemed as taboo. Realism was the cultural movement that was quite popular in literature in the 1800s. It was the opposite of romanticism because it encouraged artists to present objects at th eir most real. The perceptions are undistorted by bias and it is said that realism is the objective reality.The trend reformed the cultural movements in literature and became modernized. Cultural, political and artistic movements headed this direction at the turn of the century. It confirmed the ability of human beings to improve, create, reshape and enhance their environment. The period of modernism was during 1884 to 1914. Through technology, practical knowledge and scientific experiments, individuals are able to improve their way of life. It was at its earliest stages but these three novelists were able to become masters of the technique way before their counterparts did.Modernism examined the aspect of existence. It ranged from philosophy to commerce. It allowed the readers to reflect without holding back and replaced the old methods with the new progressive techniques. It was the introduction on how the world must accept the changes that were already occurring. By embracing the se changes and retaining some traditions, the post-realist movement came into place. (Crook, 1991, p. 32) Charles Dickens is known for his storytelling and immortal characters. With this, his literary creations received worldwide popularity which readers often anticipated for as well.The demand for Dickens’ short stories and novels didn’t allow these to go out of print. He wrote serialized novels which the public eagerly waited and religiously read. Scholars who studied why Dickens’ stories could reach out to his readers discovered that the author’s childhood influenced his fiction. These innocent experiences assisted him in bringing these stories to life. His writing style is poetic because it combines fantasy and realism which allows readers to shift from one to the other. He was also inspired by the gothic romance theme that was made popular in the 18th century.The downside to this writing style is that some of his characters are grotesque that they of ten overpower the stories. (Glancy, 1999, p 45) â€Å"Dombey sat in the corner of the darkened room in the great arm-chair by the bedside, and Son lay tucked up warm in a little basket bedstead, carefully disposed on a low settee immediately in front of the fire and close to it, as if his constitution were analogous to that of a muffin, and it was essential to toast him brown while he was very new. Dombey was about eight-and-forty years of age. Son about eight-and-forty minutes.Dombey was rather bald, rather red, and though a handsome well-made man, too stern and pompous in appearance, to be prepossessing. Son was very bald, and very red, and though (of course) an undeniably fine infant, somewhat crushed and spotty in his general effect, as yet. † The two paragraphs are from the first chapter of Dickens’ â€Å"Dombey and Son. † Dickens was an active participant in social concerns and such themes were rooted in this novel. Examples were marriages being arranged a s if it were financial partnerships. Other themes were familial relationships and child cruelty.A factor that made Dickens’ works post-modernist is his take on social commentaries. He often wrote about poverty, specifically the social stratification in the Victorian society. The approach Dickens often utilized is presenting the incidences through caricatures in order to present the readers the social truth. (Glancy, 1999, p. 53) Another post-modernist theme is that Dickens often highlighted his idealism through the poignant social commentaries of his novels. A number of his novels discussed social realism and concentrated on the mechanisms of the social control which directed the lives of the individuals.He used coincidences which only showed how idealistic his works were. Thomas Hardy is Dickens’ exact opposite. He is a realist in the sense that his novels often ends in a tragic note. Hardy was an English novelist, writer and poet. Unlike Dickens, Hardy’s child hood was privileged nor luxurious. His father was a stonemason and his mother provided him with his formal education. He was trained as an architect before he moved to London where he enrolled at King’s College. Because of his skills in designing, he won prizes from the Architectural Association and the Royal Institute of British architects.He discovered he also had the knack in writing, thus he began his career as a novelist. â€Å"Jude the Obscure† was Hardy’s most controversial work. It received negative reviews especially from the Victorian public because of the brutal and unsanitized depiction of sex. It was touted as â€Å"Jude the Obscene. † It also caused further strain on Hardy’s marriage to Emma Hardy because it was said that the novel was autobiographical. Scholars pointed out that Emma was Hardy’s first love, just as Sue was Jude’s. Another evidence was Emma’s obsession with religion toward the latter years of her m arriage to Hardy.Incidentally, this was Sue’s predicament on the novel as well. Inspite of the controversies, Hardy became one of the best English novelists by the 20th century. His other works â€Å"Tess of D’urbervilles† and â€Å"The Mayor of Casterbridge† were well-received by the public. His novels are set in Wessex, an imaginary world that covered the large area of the south-west and south England. (Harvey, 2003, p 23) He also wrote poetry and these were published after 1898 when Hardy took a break from writing novels to concentrate on his poems instead. Hardy was a hybrid of the rural and the architectural world.He understood the former because he knew this as a child and at the same time, he also adapted to the changes of the latter because of how he was trained as an architecture. The post-modernist approach that is apparent in Hardy’s works is his ability to capture the industrial revolution, particularly the ones that took place in the E nglish countryside. He also set this in the Victorian setting which makes his novels more real. (Harvey, 2003, p. 25) â€Å"It was as old fashioned as it was small, and it rested in the lap of an undulating upland adjoining the North Wessex downs.Old as it was, however, the well-shaft that was probably the only relic of the local history that remained absolutely unchanged. Many of the thatched and dormered dweeling-houses had been pulled down of late years, and many trees felled on the green. Above all, the original church, hump-backed, wood turreted-and quaintly-hipped, had been taken down, and either cracked up into heaps of road-metal in the lane, or utilized as pig-sty walls, garden seats, guard-stones to fences, and rockeries in the flower-beds of the neighbourhood.In place of it a tall new building of modern Gothic design, unfamiliar to English eyes, had been erected on a new piece of ground by a certain obliterator of historic records who had run down from London and back in a day. † That is an excerpt from â€Å"Jude the Obscure. † Another post-modernist theme that is common in Hardy’s works is his depiction of the rural life in the nineteenth century. He presents it as a fatalistic world that is filled with injustice and suffering. The lead characters in his stories are often alienated and ostracized for following their innermost desires that do not coincide with what society expects from them.He emphasizes on the power of fate, especially on the working class. He also shows the deep human instinct and will to struggle against elemental passion. Examples are Tess in â€Å"Tess of the D’urbervilles† and Jude and Sue in â€Å"Jude The Obscure. † (Morgan, 1992, p. 15) â€Å"Tess of the d’Urbervilles† was a censored novel that followed â€Å"Jude the Obscure. † It is a great classic but received mixed reviews when it was first published because like â€Å"Jude the Obscure,† it presented sex in a straightforward manner that was rarely done during that time by other writers.Hardy illustrated modernism and this was a common theme in â€Å"Tess of the d’Urbervilles. † He portrayed Tess as a woman who was able to strike the balance between the rural world and the architectural world, just as what Hardy was able to do. Hardy also discussed the separation of man from nature. In one part of the story, Angel was reduced to a skeleton when he got sick. This is an allusion to his creation of the destructive machinery. (Morgan, 1992, p. 18) There is also the double standard on sexuality which Tess had to go through.Hardy questioned and criticized the Victorian period’s perception of female purity. In the novel, Hardy made Tess suffer in order to repent for the scenes of her forefathers. This was a common belief during that time. He also presented her heroine as a sacrificial victim which symbolized her personification of mother nature. This is the similar ity Tess shares with Sue in â€Å"Jude the Obscure. † (Morgan, 1992, p. 20) â€Å"Jude the Obscure† tells the story of Jude Fawley who wishes to be a scholar. He fell in love with his cousin Sue, an intellectual who is training to become a teacher.The apparent themes in the book that are post-modernist concerns are class, religion, scholarship, marriage and the modernization of intellectual thought along with society. It also questions whether fate has an important role to a person’s life letting it lead him to where it will or the person can eventually take the reins and control his life on his own. The accidents and the details that are encountered in the stories eventually leads to the ruin of both Jude and Sue. The book also discussed loneliness and sexuality, in terms of incest. Sexuality also prevents individuals from following through with their dreams.The most controversial topic that was present in the novel is marriage and on how personal dreams could no longer be fulfilled because of that. There was also the satirical look on how living a life as sophists, intellectuals and libertines often result to the condemnation from traditional society. All these themes are post-modernist. Scholars who focused on Hardy concluded that the author loved leading his characters to their downfall as if he were a sadistic god. There are also strong autobiographical references to Hardy’s life in â€Å"Jude the Obscure.†Two important clues to this theory is that Hardy did not attend a university and the love of Jude’s life, Emma Gifford, became more and more religious. (Harvey, 2003, p. 83) Joseph Conrad is the combination of Charles Dickens’ idealism and Thomas Hardy’s realism. He was one of the best English novelists of his time. Despite being Polish born, he was recognized as a master prose because of his approach on modernist literature. His style is narrative and his characters are often anti-heroic. He has b een said to influence the lieks of Graham Greene, DH Lawrence and even Ernest Hemingway.(Orr, 1999, p 46)Conrad reflected on his experiences in the navy in his works. He wrote short stories and novels that showed areas of an empire and how it affected the human soul. Closely looking into Conrad’s life and how this affected his work, other autobiographical accounts are the clear depictions of certain parts of the world such as South American, Malay states, Borneo and Australia in some of his novels. This was because Conrad quickly became first mate and was already the master of his own ship by 1886. By the age of 36, he settled down and started writing.(Orr, 1999, p 62) â€Å"Heart of Darkness† is a novella filled with symbolisms. It is a story in a story or what the post-modernist theme describes as â€Å"frame narrative. † It is the story of Charles Marlow and his recollection of his advenutre in the Congo with a group of men. He was employed by the Belgian tra ding company to transport ivory. During this task, he then developed an interest in checking out the Kurtz. Conrad’s inspiration in writing the novel was his real-life experience in the Congo. He was there for eight and a half years before he sat down to write â€Å"Heart of Darkness.†As a matter of fact, he was captain of the Congo steamer. Therefore, there details in the novel are quite accurate because Conrad was actually there in the Congo. â€Å"I looked at him, lost in astonishment. There he was before me, in motley, as though he had absconded from a troupe of mimes, enthusiastic, fabulous. His very existence was improbable, inexplicable, and altogether bewildering. He was an insoluble problem. It was inconceivable how he had existed, how he had succeeded in getting so far, how he had managed to remain– why he did not instantly disappear.`I went a little farther,' he said, `then still a little farther–till I had gone so far that I don't know how I' ll ever get back. Never mind. Plenty time. I can manage. You take Kurtz away quick–quick–I tell you. ‘ The glamour of youth enveloped his parti-coloured rags, his destitution, his loneliness, the essential desolation of his futile wanderings. For months–for years–his life hadn't been worth a day's purchase; and there he was gallantly, thoughtlessly alive, to all appearances indestructible solely by the virtue of his few years and of his unreflecting audacity. I was seduced into something like admiration– like envy.†The previous paragraph is an excerpt of the novel which elaborates the post-modernist theme that is apparent in â€Å"Heart of Darkness. † This is the ambiguity between civilization and the barbarians. A number of characters in the novel had spiritual darkness and were looking for their morals. Those who were deemed to be barbaric turned out to be the civilized characters in the end. All throughout the novel, there is the tension between civilization and barbarism. Kurtz represented the darkness which only served as the foundation to the moral structures that are often connotated to civilization.Marlow confronted Kurtz and asked him to commit to the savagery of human instincts or to veneer in the civilization setting. Marlow was torn but between the two, it was the lastter that he couldn’t absolutely do. He was then horrified by what was in his heart. Conrad used the darkness in order to represent the unknown. Mr. Kurtz was the anti-hero of â€Å"Heart of Darkness. † Mallow’s recounts on the whole experience was also explored through the character build-up of Kurtz as well as Mallow’s interaction with the Africans.Another post-modernist theme is the novel’s regard on women’s naivety. There is also the struggle between the good and the evil in the characters. (Orr, 1999, p. 36) Conrad was an emotional man who was depressed and pessimistic. He doubted his s elf and his capabilities. He was able to discipline his craft by resorting to romantic temperament. As an artist, he focused on what could be seen and made the written word powerful by it. (Orr, 1999, p. 28) That was a post-modernist theme that was made popular by Conrad, Hardy and Dickens.Their ability to write in a style that is similar to visual arts single the three of them out as the best in prose. They create the settings of their story, be it real like that of Conrad’s Congo or fictional like that of Hardy’s Wessex. Whether they choose to have their characters be confined and isolated or out there socializing, Conrad, Hardy and Dickens could do so. Literary critics comment on the works of these three novelists and recommend them for their complex narration, pessimistic ideas, profound themes and exotic styles. However, these do not put the readers off.The ideas which Conrad, Hardy and Dickens presented way back in the 20th century are still interesting for 21st century readers. It only comes to prove that their approaches and their writing style are very modern and post-modernist. (Crook, 1991, p. 26) Modernists believed that rejecting tradition from the roots of romanticism and realism, they could make art that organized and guided individuals through the fast pace of the new century. Modernists take their cue from the Impressionists and they all believe that by redefining their art, they are able to arrange these in a modern way which anybody could relate with.Post-realist in literature emerged from the historical backdrop that was presented by the romantic period. By responding to the architectural changes going on around them, post-realist writers in the previous centuries unconsciously became modern-writers because they replaced the themes that were dominant during the period of enlightenment by listening to their emotions and by combating the widespread conventions with taboo subjects presented in a new, truthful and sordid manner.In fluenced by the constant evolution of society, modernists such as Dickens, Hardy and Conrad present their literature in a society that embraces the social truth they are in. Most of the characters in literary creations with post-modern themese are often dissatisfied but they embarked on a journey which allows them to revive the traditional elements or way of life and at the same time discover the other world out there and the new life that opens its doors for them.

Rhetorical Analysis of the Declaration of Independence Essay

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the United States, explains to his readers why the colonies chose to abolish Great Britain’s government. His goal is to inform the readers that the government has certain responsibilities to the governed and that the British failed to adhere to its responsibilities to its colonists. His second goal is to justify their actions by explaining why it was not considered treason. By establishing his credibility and appealing to ethos, pathos and logos, Jefferson successfully wrote an informative, impactful, and inspirational document. In order for Jefferson to earn his readers’ support, he needs to establish his credibility. He does so by stating that â€Å"it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands† and â€Å"a decent respect to the opinions of mankind.† By acknowledging his needs of explaining to his educated readers the reasons for the coloniesâ€℠¢ actions, he shows them that he is an intelligent man of good character and good intentions. In the second paragraph, Jefferson stated â€Å"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments†¦Ã¢â‚¬  to emphasize that he is cautious and reasonable. Before listing the grievances, he stated â€Å"let Facts be submitted to a candid world.† He wishes to share them to an honest and sincere world to establish a common ground with the audience. After listing the grievances, he guaranteed the readers of the colonists’ honest efforts to fix the conflict without having to separate by asserting â€Å"We have petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only repeated injury.† He continues by affirming that the colonists have tried to appeal to the King and â€Å"our British brethren.† His usage of the word â€Å"brethren† shows that he is humble, respectful, and good willed. He concludes the declaration with an honorable avowal which states that the representatives of the United States of America are willing to pledge â€Å"our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor† for the principles spoken in the declaration. In Jefferson’s declaration, both the organization and the use of logic are effective and adequate. He begins with the colonistsâ €™Â  fundamental beliefs that â€Å"all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.† He addresses that the role of the government is to secure and protect the rights of the people. As he proceeds, he states that if the government fails to â€Å"secure these rights,† then â€Å"it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and institute new Government.† Jefferson then creates a list of ways in which the British government has violated and stripped the colonists of their rights. Through the inductive proof, he explains the reason in which the colonists must become independent from Britain to gain freedom and to be treated fairly. The list of grievances strongly appeals to his audience’s emotions. Jefferson utilizes a powerful, emotional diction to implement the colonists’ sentiments toward the King’s character into his writing. He uses certain words such as tyrants, invasions, murders, abdicated, death, desolation, cruelty, barbarous, and destruction. These words make the audience establish a sympathetic feeling towards the colonists and that the King is â€Å"totally unworthy [to be] the Head of a civilized nation† and â€Å"unfit to be the ruler of a free people.† Jefferson emphatically proves the injustice and brutality of the King and Parliament. Based on the Declaration of Independence, Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolution to express freedom to the American public for equality with men under the law, in education and employment. Stanton explains to her readers why depriving women from their rights is unconstitutional and unjust. Her first goal is to convince the men and women of the United States in the support of women’s rights movement. . Her second goal is to demand the rights of women as right-bearing individuals be recognized and respected by society. By utilizing logical argument, establishing her credibility and appealing to the audience’s emotions, Stanton is able to convey a sense of endorsement. Stanton modeled her declaration with the Declaration of Independence to illustrate that her list of logical arguments are simple and clear. She states that â€Å"we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal†¦Ã¢â‚¬  to address that every human being is created with the same qualities; thus, women should not be treated differently. She understands that her audience knows the â€Å"inalienable rights† that the  government must protect and secure. Believing in this belief, Stanton wants the audience to question why women are not awarded with rights when both sexes are claimed to have been given by the Creator. Her references to religion effectively force the audience to believe that the laws created by the government displease God and his law of equality. Stanton proceeds to list the grievances that women experienced in the United States. Her use of diction and syntax evoke certain emotions out of the audience. Similar to the Declarati on of Independence, Stanton uses repetition in her list to emphasize and impact the audience emotionally. In the list, Stanton states that â€Å"he has monopolized nearly all the profitable employments†¦she receives but a scanty remuneration.† This is one of the oppression that effectively appeals to the audience’s emotion. She wants her readers to feel sympathy over what it is like to work tirelessly for long hours to not being able to keep the money. Stanton uses powerful languages such as â€Å"civilly dead† and â€Å"long train of abuses and usurpations† to persuade the audience to see her point and join the movement. For Stanton’s argument to work, she has to earn her readers’ trust. She knows that most of the women will support her demands; however, she especially needs to gain the support from men for the argument to be more effective. She establishes credibility by utilizing similar words from the Declaration of Independence to demonstrate that she is intelligent. In the last paragraph, she states â€Å"we insist that they have imme diate admission to all the rights and privileges†¦Ã¢â‚¬  to show that she is humble and courteous. She is not asking to take anything from men, but rather she is simply insisting that women get the same rights as men. Both drafts consist of definite logical arguments, well-organized ethical and powerful emotional appeals. Thomas Jefferson and Elizabeth Cady Stanton successfully utilize a wide range of elements to draw the audience and convince them to support their cause. Their passion and determination to gain freedom while experiencing the obstacle of unequal rights were strongly expressed in their writings. Although rhetoric is used by many to create a negative connotation, authors utilize rhetorical strategies to achieve their purpose of persuading or informing an argument. Thomas Jefferson was able to eloquently draft an inspirational and resounding declaration formed the basis for the American Revolution. His declaration became a significant role model for other countries and people who were experiencing similar conflicts  such as France and women. By implementing rhetorical devices, he was able to convince many Americans that independence, which they first apprehended as evil, was in truth a benediction.

Social And Economic Implications Is Represented By Karl...

One of the philosophical concepts which managed to mark the world and its history through its deep political, social and economic implications is represented by Karl Marx’s principle of alienation. A very harsh interpretation of the social and economic reality which he lived in, this theory was the basis for new political ideologies which, unfortunately, latter in time led to consequences that Marx would have surely disapproved of. While his view was socialist, the philosopher also supported the existence of a political democracy. On the one hand, the individual had to be helped in his endeavours and be provided with all his rights and liberties. On the other hand, the individual had to assert his freedom through the exercise of his rights. In other words, humans must be aware of their own condition as well as of the world which surrounds them and the facts which occur, decide what are the best actions to be performed and last, but not least perform them. Alienation, definition The alienation is a process through which things which belong together through their nature get to be separated. The term is used in order to describe the actions through which a relation of antagonism is created between entities which would normally coexist in peace and harmony. Marx applies this concept in a specific area and he states that what occurs in today’s’ world is a general estrangement of the people caused by the capitalistic society. In order to better understand how this occurs, weShow MoreRelatedBranches of Philosophy8343 Words   |  34 Pagesthat includes the Christian and Neo-Platonist philosophers. The most important of the ancient philosophers (in terms of subsequent influence) are Plato and Aristotle[7]. The themes of ancient philosophy are: understanding the fundamental causes and principles of the universe; explaining it in an economical and uniform way; the epistemological problem of reconciling the diversity and change of the natural universe, with the possibility of obtaining fixed and certain knowledge about it; questions aboutRead MoreExistentialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 PagesThe philosophy that encompasses the absurd is referred to as  absurdism. While absurdism may be considered a branch of existentialism, it is a specific idea that is not necessary to an existentialist view. * It s easy to highlight the absurdity of the human quest for purpose. It s common to assume that everything must have a purpose, a higher reason for existence. However, if one thing has a higher purpose, what is the reason for that purpose? Each new height must then be validated by a higherRead MoreHistory of Work Ethic8363 Words   |  34 Pagesrequired a person to use practical thinking, brutalizing the mind till it was unfit for thinking of truth (Tilgher, 1930, p. 4). Skilled crafts were accepted and recognized as having some social value, but were not regarded as much better than work appropriate for slaves. Hard work, whether due to economic need or under the orders of a master, was disdained. It was recognized that work was necessary for the satisfaction of material needs, but philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle made itRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagescultural formation was controlled fully by the elite who, to a large extent, ran the educational apparatus and the economic system. But much of the country was beginning to question in earnest the structure of colonial society by the early 1930s. The emergence of Rasta during that period corresponds with so much that was happening around the world. Rastas could tell that social unrest in Jamaica was going to lead to a movement away from colonial rule and, having heard Marcus Garvey speak of theRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesmanaging, organizing and reflecting on both formal and informal structures, and in this respect you will find this book timely, interesting and valuable. Peter Holdt Christensen, Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark McAuley et al.’s book is thought-provoking, witty and highly relevant for understanding contemporary organizational dilemmas. The book engages in an imaginative way with a wealth of organizational concepts and theories as well as provides insightful examples from theRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagespreparation solution for courses in Principles of Management, Human Resources, Strategy, and Organizational Behavior that helps you actively study and prepare material for class. Chapter-by-chapter activities, including built-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to rev iew in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN