Analysis of The Road Not Taken Essays

Analysis of The Road Not Taken Essays Analysis of The Road Not Taken Essay Analysis of The Road Not Taken Essay Essay Topic: The Road The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost I chose the poem because I happened to recall Robert Frosts name when viewing a database of poems on the internet, and I remembered that the poems we read earlier as a class by Frost were well written and appealed to me. This specific poems ties in with the theme of our English class, identity and that is why I chose it. I think the theme of this poem is choice, the act of making a decision that involves a lot of contemplating. Its not a simple decision such as what to wear or what to eat, but something deeper, a decision that can impact ones entire life. We make millions of decisions every day and most of them require no thought, but decisions such as identity, choosing to be yourself, or choosing to be someone else are very serious. Its not the obvious decision, that everyone is themselves, because we are so heavily influenced by the media and our peers. Basically the author, Robert Lee Frost is talking about himself making a life decision that I think involves his identity. We can take example from this and apply this in our own lives. Have we taken the road less traveled by?In every decision there are always at least two choices (in this poem the two roads would be symbols for choices) and theres always a choice that is more common than the other. When it comes to identity, its a sad fact that m any people take the popular road and leave the grassy one (the unpopular but genuine one). In the first stanza the author is confused, he has a dilemma and he looks at the obvious choice in front of him. He doesnt really know what he wants And sorry I could not travel both and be one traveler, hes facing a hard decision long I stood. The second stanza takes a look at the second choice the author has, this road is more grassy and wanted wear.

Customer Relationship Management Helps Chase Card Services Manage Customer Calls Essays

Customer Relationship Management Helps Chase Card Services Manage Customer Calls Essays Customer Relationship Management Helps Chase Card Services Manage Customer Calls Essay Customer Relationship Management Helps Chase Card Services Manage Customer Calls Essay If you have a credit card, theres a good chance that it is from Chase. Chase Card Services is the division of JP Morgan Chase which specializes in credit cards, offering a vast array of credit card products such as the Chase Rewards Platinum Visa card. As one of the [argest credit card issuers in the United States, the company fields a correspondingly large amount of calls from people seeking customer service for their credit card accounts.Each of Chases 6,000 call center agents worldwide at the companys 11 call centers fields field up to 120 calls per day. The company handles slightly less than 200 million calls each year from a customer base of 100 million. Even a small reduction of 1% to the amount of calls received results in savings of millions of dollars and improved customer service for Chase. Achieving such a reduction is easier said than done, however. Li. 2006, Chase Card Services attempted to accom- plish this by improving first-call resolution. Fi rst-call esolution is when a call center agent is able to resolve a customers issues during the initial call to customer service without requiring additional calls. The problem was that the companys record keeping did not give an accurate account of current rates of first-call resolution. Chase had previously tried tracking first-call resolution rates oy having agents log the content and results of each call they received. But this task was time- consuming and was not standardized, since agents :ended to record results subjectively and not in a iniform way.Company policies for some customer requests were also far from ideal for increasing First-call resolution. For example, agents were only able to process balance transfers for customers calling from their homes, and the fee structure inderwent multiple changes over a short span, prompting repeat calls. Po improve call center efficiency, Chase contracted with Enkata technologies to implement a oerformance and talent management syste m. The system monitors and tags each call with the :opic and length of the call as well as the length of time the agent that handled the call has been orking. It doesnt require agents to perform any lotion to acquire this information; it tracks calls automatically by keeping track of the keyboard strokes of each agent. As soon as an agent clicks on the feature of the account that the customer is calling about, the Enkata system automatically identifies the reason for the call. Proprietery algorithms match the reason and caller identification to the amount of time predetermined for each type of call. The system then monitors discrepancies in call time, depending on the reason for the call. For xample, a call from a customer requiring card activation should be a quick call, so the system will pinpoint card activation calls that take longer than normal, or fee dispute calls that are shorter than normal. But sometimes customers have multiple reasons for calling, which would have been ve ry difficult to track prior to the implementation of Enkatas system. Now Enkata separates each individ- ual reason for calling and organizes them into a sequence, so that a call with multiple issues to resolve is analyzed using the appropriate time frame.By separating and organizing reasons for calling into distinct categories, Chase is able to determine criteria for declaring particular calls resolved For example, a card activation call will be considered resolved after only a few days without a follow-up call, but a disputed fee call wont be considered resolved until the customer received another statement without any complaints. This method gives Chase much more accurate data on first-call resolution, a feat which is regarded as very difficult and impressive in the industry. Enkata compiles this data and distributes it toChase Card Services in the form of weekly reports on call type and length, call handling times, repeat call rates, and other performance measures that allow both agents and supervisors to monitor their performance. The system also connects reports with call recordings to assist managers in coaching and evaluating their agents. When the system was still being implemented, Enkata used historical call data gathered prior to the implementation to create initial reports. Chase Card Services executives considered this initial upload of data to be the most time- consuming part of the implementation.Once the implementation was complete, the company hoped that improvements in the interpretation and management of this information would lead to improvements in agent pertbrmance, customer satisfaction, and customer retention. The results speak for themselves. Chase Card Services improved its first-call resolution rate to 91%, an increase of 3%, in its first year after the imple- mentation of the Enkata system. That represented a total savings of $8 million. Approximately $2. 5 mil- Lion of that total savings was a direct result of the average call time decreasing by two seconds.The company hopes to reach its goal of 95% within the next few years. A perfect rate of 100% first-call resolution is not feasible because some additional calls after the first are acceptable under certain circumstances, such as a customer remembering a charge that he or she had initially disputed. CASE STUDY QUESTIONS 1. What functions of customer relationship manage- ment systems are illustrated in this case? 3. Why is the call center so important for Chase Card Services? How could Chases call centers help it improve relationships with customers? . Describe the problem at Chase call centers. What management, organization, or technology factors contributed to the problem?3. How did using Enkata improve operational perfor- mance and decision making? Give examples. E. What management, organization, or technology factors would have to be considered in implement- ing the Enkata solution? Within three months time, 30% of agents that had scored below the accept able rate for first-call resolution improved to an acceptable rate. And although the number of active customer accounts grew by 5. % in the six months after implementation of the system, call volume decreased 8. 3% over that same span. Encouraged by these successes, Chase Card Services is now looking to expand the capabilities of the system to classify calls into even more cate- gories, and to link their collected data to marketing programs to foster cross-selling and upselling. Sources: Marshall Lager, Credit Where Due, Customer Relationship Management, April 2008; Michele Heller, How Chase Got Control of Call-Center Expenses, American Banker, February 26, 2008.

Everyday Use by Alice Walker Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Everyday Use by Alice Walker - Research Paper Example Indeed, the difference between the sisters explains why Mama places much hope in Dee and puts her in the path of success while Maggie remains home, uneducated and lame. Nevertheless, by the end of the play, Mama realizes her mistake and redeems her docile and valuable daughter. The short story points out not only the difference between Dee and Maggie, but also Mama’s relationship with each of her children. The contrast between Dee and Maggie is overwhelming and reflects their different personalities. Mama, as the narrator of the story, dramatizes the difference even more: â€Å"Have you ever seen a lame animal, perhaps a dog run over by some careless person rich enough to own a car, sidle up to someone who is ignorant enough to be kind to him? That is the way my Maggie walks† (Walker 121). This pitiful description is the image Mama has about her daughter. Injured when the house they used to live in burnt down, Maggie still carries the impact of the accident with her. Ma ma explains her physical difference from her sister: â€Å"Dee is lighter than Maggie, with nicer hair and fuller figure† (Walker 121). This physical difference is closely related to their different personalities. This statement reveals: â€Å"We must remember from the beginning that the story is told by Mama; the perceptions are filtered through her mind and her views of her two daughters are not to be accepted uncritically. Several readers have pointed out that Mama's view of Maggie is not quite accurate† (Farrell). Indeed. Regardless of the lack of physical beauty Mama perceives, Maggie has an inner beauty that her mother fails to grasp. Apart from the physical difference, another major handicap for Maggie is the lack of education. Although Dee gets the chance to go to college, Maggie stays home and mainly strives to read and write on her own. Maggie’s injury makes her a victim and causes her to suffer an unequal treatment compared to her sister. Instead of g etting Maggie a proper treatment allowing her to enjoy a better healing, Mama and the community prefer to collect money and give Dee an education. Talking about Dee, Mama asserts: â€Å"I used to think she hated Maggie, too. But that was before we raised the money, the church and me, to send her to Augusta to school† (Walker 125). Meanwhile, Maggie is left home to strive by herself with her physical and moral scars with no formal education and no professional counseling for the unfortunate accident she has been through. This article informs: â€Å"Maggie is the aggregate underclass that has been left behind as a handful of Wangeros achieve their independence-an underclass scarred in the collective disasters Walker symbolizes neatly in the burning of the original Johnson home† (Cowart). Besides, attending college changes Dee completely as she questions her identity and chooses another name. Her return home makes her transformation more visible and creates clashes of vie ws with her mother and sister. According to this critic: â€Å"Many readers point to Dee's proclamation of her new name as the turning point in the story, the point at which Dee pushes her mother too far. They point out that Dee is rejecting her family heritage and identity in this scene† (Farrell). This name change deeply hurts Mama who finally realizes Dee is not the person she thought she was. Mama assimilates Dee’s rejection of her name to the rejection of her family and inheritance and becomes conscious that the expectations she placed on Dee were too

Marxism theory of the State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marxism theory of the State - Essay Example For instance, Marxism has different impacts compared to pluralism and elitism. However, Marxism is still the preferred theory for governance in countries like Russia and China. Supporters of Marxism in Russia argue that it creates balance in the society compared to pluralism and elitism1. Marxists advocate for the institution of political and legal structures that create a classless society. Karl Marx and Engels devised the theory after conducting several studies on the dynamics that shape the society. The two philosophers formulated the theory at a time when governments were struggling with political, social and economic structures in the society. The theory was an alternative to leadership that was failing in the society. Marx recommended the theory because it provided solutions to challenges that faced pluralism, elitism and feudalism. Based on initial literature review processes, it appears that Marxism is the most convincing theory for governance. Marxism political system Marxis m is a theory that puts the society into classes based on their economic capabilities. According to the theory, everyone in the society has a fundamental role to play in enhancing stability of the state2. The theory is opposed to totalitarian rule when the state has autonomy in controlling the social political and economic aspects of peoples’ life. Marx argues that discomfort of the masses has the possibility of destabilizing the society. Therefore, Marx suggests that measures should be enacted to enhance understanding amid different classes of the society. In Marxism, the classes are based on the individual’s access to the means of production. People who have the capacity to manipulate the factors of production are at the top of the class. The second group is the middle class identified as those who control the factors of production, but lack sufficient control as the upper class. The last group is the lower classes who partake in the production but they receive fewer benefits from the process. Authority serves at the behest of the class that owns wealth in a classified society. According to the theory, instability in the society results from class struggle. This means that there can never be peace as long as a particular group of people is dissatisfied with the administration. A need arises for people in authority to formulate measures for creating a balance in society to prevent conflicts from arising3. According to Marx, a shift in power is likely to happen whenever a particular class feels that the authorities do not represent their interests. Marxist approach allows individuals to take control of the factors of production in the society4. The theory enhances stability in the society because it encourages individuals to produce wealth that can be used by the community. According to Marx and Engels, the theory makes it easy for the ruling class to maintain stability in the society by quelling any form of discomfort among the classes in the so ciety. According to theory, a State is the authority that takes control over the other classes. The State is responsible for controlling the factors of production. Politics play a significant role in influencing economic activities of the classes. Interestingly, the ruling class constitutes the minority in the populace in several instances. However, the ruling class is influential based on their economic capability. The ruling class thrives at the ignorance of the middle class who comprise the bulk of the population yet they lack the capacity to control the State. Given their numerical strength, they can overthrow the government at will but they are unsuccessful because

How Does Willy Russell Create Mood Essay Example for Free

How Does Willy Russell Create Mood Essay In the Summer Sequence Willy Russell’s three main protagonists are shown to grow up from the ages of 15 to 18, thus becoming adults throughout the song. This means that the sequence acts as a watershed in the respect that it marks a major turning point in the play. This is shown through the atmosphere that Russell creates, which goes from fairly positive, hopeful tone to a more cynical and desperate one over the duration of the sequence. Russell uses several techniques to create these atmospheres throughout. In the opening of the Summer Sequence the atmosphere is clearly a happy one, which is shown by Russell by using words like â€Å"young, free and innocent† to describe the characters. In this section, the word â€Å"innocent† is used twice. This repetition emphasises their youth and their naivety. â€Å"You haven’t got a care†, suggests Russell is trying to create an image of the characters as being without concern, completely free of worry so it reinforces the absolute happiness of the characters. Another adjective that occurs later in the song is â€Å"immortal† which at this stage of the play creates an atmosphere of excitement and spontaneity because the children can’t conceive of an end to their current lives. A technique that Russell uses starts to use here is imagery, â€Å"street’s turned to paradise†, the word â€Å"paradise† bring to mind an idea of secure and complete happiness, which is how he describes them in this verse. Another technique is personification, â€Å"radio’s singing dreams†, giving the radio the ability to do something that brings happiness or joy. This line also works the first time the motif of dreams appears, one that recurs throughout the sequence. The next notable part of the sequence is entirely stage directions, and shows the characters at a fairground. In this part of the sequence the most obvious technique is foreshadowing and motifs arising. In it, Linda is just ignored by the narrator, who is running the stall, when giving the gun to them, but the boys both insist Linda fires it, which is reminiscent of the beginning of the play when Linda takes the airgun from Mickey and beats him at firing at cans. Linda also used to control their social situations, â€Å"let’s throw some stones through them windows†. This scene is also very reliant on the gun motif that runs through the entire play which creates a darker and more sinister atmosphere, and that suggests a level of violence. The fairground scene is also reflected in the musical choice, which is fairground-like music that plays to the tune of ‘Tell me it’s not true’, the song Mrs Johnstone sings at the very beginning of the play while her two sons lie dead on the stage. So, again this ties in with the audiences’ awareness of the boys’ tragic fate, thus, creating a foreshadowing atmosphere and suggests impending tragedy. This links with the gun motif, as together these themes create a sense of impending violence and death. The last line of this section of stage directions is â€Å"Linda is caught in the middle, the game freezes†. This creates a dark atmosphere as throughout the play Linda is always seen to be caught in between the two boys, but so far, it has never ended badly. In this instance, however, it foreshadows the fates of all three characters. The use of the word â€Å"game†, referring to a game of piggy-in-the-middle, could suggest that the context of the play when Linda gets caught up in her own happiness which eventually leads to the tragic fate of the twins. Overall, this section is of a darker tone than the last, but this atmosphere is created through the subtext, so the audience may not be fully aware of why they feel this way about the atmosphere. This is featured through the presence of the narrator, who throughout the play appears on stage to signify or prompt something negative to happen. He hands them the gun, and prompts the game of piggy-in-the-middle that Linda gets caught between. The next section uses metaphors to create a dark, impending atmosphere, that is more openly sinister that the previous section. Russell refers to the characters are â€Å"Lambs in spring†, which suggests not only their innocence and naivety, but an inevitable fate, specifically one that is forced upon them, not of their own doing. This explicitly refers to the brothers’ fate in a way in which the last section didn’t, so the tone is far more marred by the eventuality of their deaths. This date is also referenced when Russell extends the metaphor, â€Å"fate the later seasons bring†, which causes the audience to remember the scene at the very beginning of the play, preventing them from being drawn into the initial happiness of the three teenagers in this sequence. Again, it refers to Linda being caught in the middle of the pair, foreshadowing their final argument. It also refers to Linda paying a â€Å"price†, a theme that was initially shown in the song ‘Easy Terms’, sung by Mrs Johnstone, and in both cases foreshadows the price they’ll have to pay for their involvement in the twins’ lives. The music becomes far more serious and sinister, a repetitive tense note with no actual melody. In the next section a recurring theme is shown with the references to time. This creates a sad, melancholic atmosphere, as the audience is aware of the character’s significant lack of time together, but the characters are not, so their happy unawareness and this dramatic irony is slightly poignant. Again, fate is reference by the narrator â€Å"care not for what’s at the end of the day†, again forcing the audience to remember the fate of the boys, this enhances the melancholy mood of the section. â€Å"What is to come, what might have been†, references both the eventualities of the play, whilst also suggesting they could have been happy, that it could have they could have been happier, depressing the mood even further. It is made poignant by the characters’ blissful ignorance, â€Å"life has no ending†¦Talk away the night†, which ties in with the earlier references of immorality. Again, this dramatic irony, where the audience know that the boys’ lives do have endings that are fast approaching, almost makes the audience beg them to not waste their time talking â€Å"away the night†. â€Å"Share your last cigarette† also ties into the earlier scene where Mickey and Eddie share things, such as sweets and later cigarettes, they promise to share things in their blood brothers pact; but they cannot share Linda. Arguably the downfall of both brothers, meaning that this watershed’s atmosphere is wholly dark. In the next section it is all stage directions, but Russell uses foreshadowing and the use of the narrator’s presence to create a seemingly happy atmosphere that still foreshadows tragedy. In it, the trip are taking photos of each other at the beach. In the one between Eddie and Linda, Eddie down on one knee and demonstrating affections by kissing her hand. Throughout the play, Linda has shaped Eddie’s personality and actions, such as coercing him to throw rocks, and Eddie has appeared to like her from the very beginning and so this foreshadows the dynamics of their later relationship. Mickey and Linda’s photo does the same, as Mickey â€Å"pulls a distorted face†, and Linda chastening him for it, which foreshadows Mickey’s later dependency on medication, and Linda’s efforts to help him get off them. This foreshadowing of tragic events, in a way that appears innocent creates an  eerie, disconcerting atmosphere. As there are no words, it can’t openly reference what’s to come, but uses what the characters think is a harmless and happy moment. This is compounded by the musical choice, which is again ‘Tell me it’s not true’, as fairground music. Again, this foreshadows the final scene, creating a foreboding atmosphere without explicit reference as to why it appears that way. In this scene we see the characters taking pictures of them at the beach, these photos are memories of the last time the three of them are all truly happy. Therefore, the photographs signify the end of their childhood and innocence and dreams. This made clearer by the narrator being the one to take the photographs, thus being the one who signifies the end of their childhoods and lives. The children literally become adults at the end of the beach scene in the Summer Sequence, as well as metaphorically. Because the narrator is a sinister figure throughout the play, and usually is there to prompt the occurrence of something tragic, it creates a sense of impending tragedy even more obvious in this scene. The picture that the narrator takes is of them all together, happy, so he not only brings their childhood to a close, but also their happiness and friendship. In a sense, he symbolises reality as he intrudes on their happiness, despite their ignorance and the audience’s desire for him not to do so. He also represents society as it is eventually social constraints of class and wealth that divide the two. This way the audience are forced to see the society that they are part of and this is the factor that brings the story to an end. The fact that he appears to them as a friendly, even helpful, face increases the audience’s wariness of him and therefore the sinister nature of the scene. The overriding atmosphere of the scene is the last section is one of desperation and uncertainty. Russell uses metaphors such as â€Å"broken bottles in the sand† to symbolise a man-made impression on something naive and happy, which symbolises the characters’ friendship and how it is affected by class. The motif of a dream is repeated, as is the theme of innocence. The references to dreams ties in with the song tell me it’s not true, which refers to dreams. The reference to innocence here again makes the trio seem devious to the fact that they will be subject to tragedy.

Canadian GDP :: essays research papers

The output or GDP of Canada has increased from 1995 to 1999. This means that more people became employed or productivity has risen. With the GDP on the rise, Canada is able to buy more because people will have more money from work. This would appreciate the dollar because Canadians need the U.S. dollar to purchase our goods. Demand, on the other hand, has somewhat stayed the same. There were periods when it was up and periods when it was down. When the demand for passenger cars was falling, Canadians were looking elsewhere to buy their cars. This factor would, most likely appreciate the dollar because, one again, the Canadians would need the U.S. dollar to buy our cars. When the demand was up, the opposite situation would happen. The unemployment rate for Canada fell, possible because of increased advertisement. When the unemployment of a country is low, output and productivity are raising. I stated before, as output rises, imports will also rise. This is due to the increase of money in the country. The dollar will appreciate relative to the Canadian dollar. Canada’s inflation has risen 7% in the last five years. As the price of Canada’s goods increase, the U.S. is looking elsewhere to buy its products. The supply of the U.S. dollar would decrease in Canada and the U.S. dollar would appreciate. In order to get an exact reading of the actions taken by Canada, we must look at their inflation compared to the U.S. I looked at http://www.stls.frb.org/fred/data/cpi/cpiaucsl, and I found that the U.S. had an 11% inflation rate. This means that product price of the U.S. has risen faster to that of Canada. This means that Canada was possible taking there business elsewhere, causing the dollar to depreciate. The interest rates of Canada are clearly on the downfall. Less people are putting their money into the investing sector. When the interest decreases, it is likely that Canada is putting their money into the U.S. This would appreciate the dollar because Canada would need the U.S. currency to invest in our country. Canada is running a constant trade surplus. We must also look at the current account balance of Canada. It decreased drastically from 1996 to 1997. This, most likely, means their imports were greater than their exports. You would be able to see this on their goods and service balance. I would assume that they do have a merchandise trade deficit because Canada is getting money from investing income.

Homework Overload or Vital Material?

Why is homework necessary? Why is it so important? Is it really a vital, mandatory, and daily essential assignment that affects a school life? Many have a different opinion on the amount of homework given. Most of these thoughts and feelings come from teachers, parents, and of course students. Teachers at school presume that homework is one of the most important materials in education. They feel it helps students learn. For example, one way it assists learning is by acting as a study guide for important tests. Another way it’s of use is by reviewing lessons. Homework is not only for the future but also a review from the past. But is it really necessary with the amount given? Parents believe that teachers should limit homework because it causes stress. More kids dread doing their assignments and this effects their learning and stress stamina. Most of these students probably stuffer from homework overloading their life. This means that homework drains away sprits and academic achievements because of the amount given. Students feelings towards homework are quite diverse and neutral. Some kids say that homework isn’t necessary and it’s just stress on paper, but others disagree and think it’s important and helps them get their grades up. Some think homework’s purpose is to reinforce learning and extend learning outside the classroom. But others think they don’t need that extra help that homework is there for. Some students feel that homework confuses the brain after a long day of school and learning other things as well. Homework may be important but also may be just busywork. You can learn from homework but also learn nothing at all. The argument of homework continues with the opinions of teachers, parents, and students. I think we just need to limit the amount we get and make sure we’re not overloading ourselves with assignments. Is homework really essential? Should it be stopped?