Travel industry in Pakistan tourism

Travel industry in Pakistan tourism Introduction and Background of the Research The Travel Industry in Pakistan is undergoing a period of drastic changes. Customer demands and loyalty levels are changing every season with competitive packages being offered by the travel management companies to stay in the business. Also to compete with the International travel industry, local companies have to be at par and offer excellent services and rates. The industry is all about enabling customers to build mutual relationships with their clients and to give them the means with which they can maximize the benefit of every idea or initiative effortlessly across their clients. The travel sector has been categorized as Inbound and Outbound Travel. Inbound travel refers to the people who wish to travel to Pakistan where as Outbound travel refers to the people wishing to travel abroad. If a person travels to some foreign land it is included in Outbound Travel and if the same person returns to Pakistan, it will be characterized as Inbound Travel. Considering the economic and political conditions of Pakistan, there has always been disparity between outbound and inbound travel. This is also because of the Non Returning Pakistanis who wish to pursue their careers outside Pakistan and after certain time, call their families abroad. The Travel Sector has always been focusing on outbound travel because of the adequate infrastructure provided by other destinations such as Far East, Middle East and Europe. The sector in Pakistan has also been a victim of lack of support by the government despite the growing number of travel management companies in Pakistan. An independent report by World Economic forums Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008 (TTCR) suggested that tourism facilities remained unsatisfactory in Pakistan. Due to the absence of world class tourism facilities, Pakistan is constantly being put on the back foot when it comes to tourism promotion. In addition to a poor tourism infrastructure, the country also lacks standard and competitive hotel rooms at popular tourism sites. The TTCR ranked Pakistan at number 110 out of 124 countries, when it came to provision of standard and competitive hotel rooms. (Euro Monitor, 2009) According to the Members List posted on the TAAP (Travel agents association of Pakistan) currently there are over 700 travel agents working across the country that have been categorized as: Figure 1.1: Distribution of Travel Management Companies in Pakistan (TAAP, 2009) Travel may be broadly classified in three different categories worldwide and the same classification applies to Pakistan as well. Travelling for business purposes, these include personnel from companies travelling for varying needs including training and development, Business development etc. Travelling for leisure activities, these would include either travelling to meet relatives aboard or travelling to different countries for the sake of entertainment. The third and the most popular segment in Pakistan at the moment is the religious segment, this would include people travelling for the purpose of religious pilgrimages (Hajj, Umrah, Ziarat etc) There are several travel management companies working in Karachi and most of them provide services to all the three segments, but there are certain others who specialize in single segment only with their major focus being towards providing services to the corporate sector. In this era travel agencies are not only providing its customers with tickets for their travel, but they are working towards creating an overall experience for their clients and these include it from the other. These leaders in the travel business have been serving customers with a variety of travel products and services and catering to their daily, seasonal and corporate needs. The industry has diversified from normal ticketing to packages (domestic and international), Visa facilitation, Cars and Campers vans, Cruise packages across Pacific and Atlantic oceans, Meetings-Incentives-Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE), Rail packages and even Call Centres. Because of their extensive approach to serve the travel industry, leaders or the so called travel-pundits have now been able to serve in multiple cities in Pakistan and even abroad. Some of them have also started 24 hours office with day and night shifts to cater to their customers 24/7. Travel market has expanded globally and even these travel pundits in Pakistan and specially Karachi are able to cater to corporate accounts globally with the ease of online ticketing and payment settlement done online. Another aspect which the local market i s catering is handling accounts of international travel agencies through local call centers in Karachi due to availability of cheap labor and savings they can make. Travel industry in Pakistan still has a long way to grow which has been slow due to political and economic instability in the country, however, the travel gurus have been making day night efforts to explore more opportunities and line up a growing pace for the industry. Objectives and scope of the Research The Corporate, Leisure and Religious travel segments are the three main areas of operations in the Travel segment. Since our Pakistani consumers are still not comfortable with the concept of e-ticketing and are still in the phase of adapting to paper less tickets, the operations of Travel Management Companies are still preferred by the masses. Our consumers still rely on Travel Management Companies to map out their itineraries and have loyalty levels associated with certain agencies. Several packages are offered by Travel Management Companies in Karachi for the corporate, leisure and religious travel segments. There are companies that specialize in a certain segment as well. The growing competition and influx of Travel Management Companies in Karachi necessitates their analysis in terms of their marketing mix and current practices in order to differentiate the services offered by them, retain old customers and attract new ones. Travelers who prefer to leave the job of ticketing and travel mapping to the specialists in the field lay emphasis on the company that would give them the best possible rates with the most services. In order to decipher consumers preferences and criteria behind selecting a travel management company, we intend to incorporate this in our thesis as one of the areas of research and will try to gather reasons accruing to this selection. The success factors behind leading players in the industry will be sought and a comparative analysis of their practices and packages offered will also be conducted. The scope of the research is specifically based in Karachi, Pakistan. Due to time constraints and traveling issues, all the interviews and surveys of consumers and the travel management companies will be conducted in Karachi only. Problem Definition and Research Questions Worldwide travel management companies have been doing well for over two decades. The growth of travel agency bookings has outperformed the growth in airline traffic in the first half of 2010. Although in 2009; there was a rise in internet bookings as cost savings topped the priority list for travelers. (Jones, 2010) In Pakistan, the prevailing trend depicts a rise in the advent of travel management companies. The reasons normally accrued to this rise is the preference of travelers to rely on travel management companies to set their itineraries in the most cost effective and convenient way. In todays environment, travel management companies need every advantage to compete with pressure from mega-agencies, online travel companies and regional players, especially as competition intensifies and economic conditions continue to falter. With the web breaking distance barriers between countries and making information available to all via just a click, travel services for business, leisure and religious travel have pressed travel management companies for the best possible options. Overall business travel transactions processed by members of the UKs Guild of Travel Management Companies grew by 12 percent year-over-year in the six months through June 2010. (GTMC, 2010) Leisure travel has also witnesses a rise following the post recession stage and leisure travel is expected to be more profitable than corporate travel. (World Travel Market, 2010) Till date very little research has been done on the travel industry in Pakistan. In our thesis we would explore the various factors that have lead to the success of few out of the so many established in the country in the light of the different segments of travel services that are provided. We would also be examining the services offered by these companies in order to have a comprehensive picture of the industrys success factor. Hence our research problem is: To explore the success factors of leading travel management companies in Karachi. Some of the research questions that we would try to explore are: What are the variables driving success for the travel industry? What are the 7Ps of the travel management companies? What attributes do consumers consider while opting for a travel management company? Who are the major players in the leisure, religious and corporate travel categories? What can travel management agencies do to further improve the travel management practices? Research Methodology The research methodology that will be used is divided into two phases, primary and secondary. The research would include both, Qualitative and Quantitative Research, based mostly on primary data collection. In the first phase we will determine the top travel management companies based on their number of customers and other International key success factors. Once the top 5 players are identified, the second phase will begin in which we will be finding out customer perception of travel agents and their packages through questionnaires. Secondary Research will be conducted to find out the various packages and services being offered by the travel management agencies. Comparative analysis will be done for various travel management companies on the basis of their offerings. Sampling will be done on the basis of quota sampling. 20 travel agencies will be approached and the top 5 travel management agencies will be selected based on the number of customers they cater for. Limitations of the Research The limitation of the study can be firstly accrued to its scope being confined to Karachi and hence may not be reflective of the services being offered by travel management companies across the country. The scenarios witnessed by the 5 key travel agents from Karachi might not be reflective of the market. As travel sector is not a listed in any of the stock exchange, it will be difficult to extract authentic details from travel management companies and information given by the agencies will have to be relied upon. In order to keep the research free from any sort of biasness, use of reliable research studies and data provided by the authorities with relevant facts and experts opinions will be provided to defend our reasoning. CHAPTER TWO An Introduction to Travel Management Companies Heathrow International Travel defines a travel management, as means to meeting the demands and expectations of travelers, be it individuals or part of a group. Further elaboration by the travel industry dictionary states that travel agent is any person who sells travel products on a commission basis or who meets certain minimum qualifications, which can vary widely according to those who uses the term or sets the standards. (Travel Industry Glossary, 2007) Laurie Lico Ablanese, teacher and author at Vagner College, U.S, defines the job of a travel agent as a person who can perform one or more of the following functions that can be characterized as that of a travel consultant, tour organizer, small business executive, or travel guide. (Albanese, 2010) Travel agents may choose to become certified by the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA) for which they require a minimum of 18 months of experience as an agent, along with a complete 12 course program. There are various other certifications that travel agents acquire in order to gain more expertise, the most famous certification being that from IATA. These certifications are a key criteria for travel management companies operating worldwide as they assist travelers in selecting an authentic company for their travel requirements. For corporate, religious and leisure travel management agencies, certification from International Air Travel Association (IATA) is mandatory as it certifies your identity throughout the world. Each agent is given a distinguished code which enables the agent to be tracked anywhere in the world. The various other certifications include the following: United Federation of Travel Agents Association (UFTAA): UFTAA represents national travel agents associations in a significant number of countries. It remains the most prominent body representing the interests of travel agents worldwide and enjoys consultative status with the United Nattions. Its membership also includes a large group of Travel Partners, including major airlines, hotels, tourism boards, shipping companies, car rental companies and many other operators allied to the tourist industry. UFTAA is essential for corporate travel segment. World Tourism Organization (WTO ): WTO, not to be confused with the World Trade Organization, serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues. Based in Madrid, WTO is entrusted by the United Nations to help countries maximize the positive impacts of tourism, such as job creation, infrastructure development and foreign exchange earnings, while at the same time minimizing negative environmental or social impacts. Representatives covering Africa, the Americas, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and South Asia are responsible for overseeing specific projects and working. Their key emphasis is on leisure travel. World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC): Founded in 1990 with support from American Express, WTTC is a high-level private sector-only lobbying group whose membership comprises Chief Executives of multinational accommodation, catering, cruises, entertainment, recreation, transportation, and other travel-related companies. WTTCs mission is to raise the awareness of the full economic impact of the Travel and Tourism industry. International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IH RA): Officially recognized by the United Nations, IH RA represents the interests of the worlds hotels and restaurants. Members include hotel and restaurants operators, corporate hotel executives national hospitality association, hotel schools, and suppliers to the hospitality industry. The association is responsible for lobbying international policy, making bodies to resist regulations that could damage their business, estimated to comprise 300,000 hotels and 8 million restaurants. Pacific Asia Travels Association (PATA): Founded in 1951, PATA is the dominant industry association in one of the worlds most popular Travel and Tourism region. Based in Bangkok, its membership includes nearly 100 government, states, and city tourism bodies, 76 airlines and cruise lines, some 2000 companies and organization, and 17,000 individuals in 78 Chapters worldwide. Its programmers and designed to help members enhance their competitive edge through research and marketing services, product development and educational seminars and workshops. International Airline Passenger Association (IAPA): With over 400,000 members around the world, IAPAs main goal is to represent the views of travelers who fly often, by speaking out on safety and health issues related to flying. One area in which IAPA has made efforts is the improvement of aircraft cabin air quality. It also offers members discounts on hotels worldwide, savings on car rental, comprehensive travel insurance, and other benefits. (Insight, 2009) All travel agencies in Pakistan are subject to the local rules and regulations filed under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture at Federal Level and Department and Tourist Services at provincial level. A travel agency cannot operate without a valid license issued by the Department of Tourist Services (DTS). A license issued is subject to many requirements such as competent staff, financially sound management and location suitable for public dealing. A Bank guarantee is furnished to Department of Tourist Services after final inspection and then a license is issued to operate the travel agency. The license is valid for one year from the date of issue and has to be renewed after the expiry date. These are separate from the certifications they need to register for International traveling. Specialization of Travel Management Companies Travel agencies have been regarded as critical information, planning and booking providers for a large number of travelers (Duke Persia 1993; Mihalik, Uysal Pan 1995). Travel products provided by travel management companies include air ticketing, visa facilitation, worldwide hotel reservations, worldwide car rental reservations, travel insurance, airport meet and assist service, rail, bus tickets and MICE (Meeting, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions). (Oasis Travels, 2010) These products vary from one travel Management Company to another depending on their expertise and the market they operate in; these are further classified according to the sectors in which they specialize. Travel management agencies have opted for specialization in various fields including corporate, personal, event, leisure or school travel. Corporate Travel Business travel is a highly valuable part of the travel and tourism industry. Not only does it continue to grow, but also average spending by business travel customers is higher than in the retail sector. Travel agencies are inclined towards the corporate sector because of various reasons, major ones being the following High quality, high yield (earns more revenue) part of travel and tourism Year-round sector means more full-time jobs More shock-proofed against downturns or disasters Investment can regenerate urban areas. (Business Travel Operation, 2008) Companies usually arrange the corporate travel on various occasions major ones being conferences and meeting, exhibition, and trade fairs, incentive travel, corporate events and outdoor events. The revenue from each of these occasions is different but according to a tourism department of UK the major contributor of revenue in the corporate sector is when company personnel travel for meetings and conferences and as per an estimate for the year 2003 meeting and conference, related travel has amounted for around  £7 billion. (Weaver, Han, 2008) Conferences and meetings are worth over  £7 billion in 2003. This part of the sector includes sales conferences, management meetings, annual general meetings, training courses, business presentations and product launches. The market for exhibitions and trade fairs is worth over  £2 billion per year, trade exhibitions are for buyers and sellers in specific trade sectors. Incentive travel is used by organisations to motivate their staff. They are usually offered in industries with high profit margins such as cars and financial services. Incentive travel is used by organisations to motivate their staff. Corporate events include staff and client entertainment. Sporting occasions are the most popular for corporate events. Close links exist between corporate events segment and the contract catering industry. Its market worth between  £700 million and  £1 billion per year. (Bized, 2008) Religious Travel Religious travel now a day is a very comprehensive and expansive terms, previously it was only used to account for the travel that is done for the purpose of religious pilgrimages but today the concept of religious travel has primarily centered on the notion of pilgrimage. Although this type of journey remains at the heart of religious travel in many ways, it is no longer the sole form or reference point The growing religious tourism sector is currently valued at US$18 billion per year with Hajj pilgrimage, Palestine, Jordan, Iran and other Middle Eastern destinations identified as top draws for religious travel. With more than 300 million global travelers annually, the faith-based travel and hospitality market provides destination management organizations, wholesalers, suppliers, and travel agents unprecedented opportunities for new business avenues and clientele. Today, religious travel and hospitality is defined by, Travel to a religious destination, (Travelling to a religious destination is the most common and traditional meaning of the phrase religious travel. It may be right to attribute the success of this form of travel to all the major religions of the world. The word that has been associated with religious travel is pilgrimage.) Travel to a religious gathering (. People of various faith and disciplines have been travelling and gathering for religious purpose and celebrations.), Travel with a missionary and/or humanitarian intent and Travel with a fellowship intent. (Most short-term mission trips typically last from seven to 14 days. Volunteer vacations are a related form of missionary travel) (World Religious Travel Association, 2010) According toaccording to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. .. Click the link for more information.  Kevin J Wright, president of the World Religious Travel Association (WRTA WRTA Worcester Regional Transit Authority (Massachusetts) WRTA World Religious Travel Association WRTA Western Regional Transmission Association WRTA Western Reserve Transit Authority (Northeast Ohio)  ), specialist travel providers need to develop the best possible travel experiences to leverage income from the three billion people around the world who trace their religious roots and faiths to the Middle East. Religious tourism is recognized as one of the most resilient markets in the travel industry, said Wright, who will be conducting a seminar entitled `The New Era of Religious Tourism` at Arabian Travel Market the Middle East`s premier travel and tourism event to be held in May in Dubai. Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia  (sà ¤`dÄâ€Å" Éâ„ ¢rÄ `bÄâ€Å"Éâ„ ¢, sou`-, sà ´-), officially Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, kingdom (2005 est. pop. .. Click the link for more information.  is the market`s primary driver, with the Islamic Hajj hajj  (hà ¤j), the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, one of the five basic requirements (arkan or pillars) of Islam. Its annual observance corresponds to the major holy day id al-adha,   and Umrah   The Umrah or (Arabic: Ø ¹Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±ÃƒËœÃ‚ © ) is a pilgrimage to Mecca performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year.   pilgrimages seeing the Kingdom receive over six million worshipers annually. The religious tourism industry in Saudi Arabia alone generates an estimated $7 billion annually and with the market expecting 20 percent growth in the coming years, tour operators, hotels and airlines are already tailoring products to tap into the religious market. Pilgrimages are not the sole driver of the religious market anymore and people of faith are increasingly seeking greater quality travel experiences across the full spectrum of sub-sectors whic h drive the industry, Wright said. Mark Walsh For details of the dart player, Mark Walsh, please see Mark Walsh (Dart player) Mark Walsh is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist. .. Click the link for more information., Group Exhibition Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions organizer of Arabian Travel Market, which takes place from May 5 8, 2009, at the Dubai International Convention Exhibition Centre said the need to examine robust tourism revenue streams would be critical in ensuring the industry weathers the current economic downturn. Our industry is changing and tour operators and travel companies need to examine alternative business avenues to increase profits during these challenging times. The religious tourism market is one such possibility and remains extremely relevant to Middle East based operations. Through these informed discussion sessions, exhibitors and visitors alike can better understand the business potential available to them. According to Wright, Jordan and Palestine are huge growth markets. Ninety-five percent of tourism in Palestine is religion-based, while Jordan is targeting tourism revenues of up to $2.4 billion, per year, by 2010 over 60 percent higher than income generated in 2007, he said. Iraq is also emerging as a serious player in the sector. Areas of religious significance, such as Najaf home of the sacred shrine of the son-in-law of Prophet Mohammad already welcomes eight million pilgrims a year, but a new airport will increase inbound in ·bound  1  Ã‚   adj. Bound inward; incoming: inbound commuter traffic. Adj. 1. inbound   capacity to over 20 million. Citing Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi  (à ¤`b thà ¤`bÄâ€Å", zà ¤-, dà ¤-), Arab. Abu Zabi, sheikhdom (1995 pop. 928,360), c.   as an example of how feeder destinations can benefit from mass pilgrimages to Saudi, Iraq and other holy sites, Wright added: Abu Dhabi International AirportAbu Dhabi International Airport (Arabic: Ù†¦ÃƒËœÃ‚ ·ÃƒËœÃƒËœÃ‚ ± Ø £ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¨Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€  Ø ¸ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¨Ãƒâ„¢Ã…   Øلؠ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  ) (IATA: AUH,  ICAO: OMAA .. Click the link for more information.  handled nearly 15,000 Hajjes last year, which increased its passenger traffic rates to Saudi Arabia by 34.5 percent the potential for everyone in the region to benefit is astoundinga ·stound  Ã‚   tr.v. a ·stound ·ed, a ·stound ·ing, a ·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, .. Click the link for more information.. (Mojnews Agency, 2009) Leisure Travel Leisure travel may be defined as travel that is undertaken for pleasure and personal purposes. The  World Tourism Organization  reports top ten countries as the most visited from 2006 to 2009 by the number of international travelers. When compared to 2006,  Ukraine  entered the top ten lists, surpassing  Russia,  Austria  and  Mexico,  and in 2008, surpassed  Germany.  In 2008, the  U.S.  displaced  Spain  from the second place. Most of the top visited countries continue to be on the  European continent, followed by a growing number of  Asian  countries. In 2009,  Malaysia  made it into the top 10 most visited countries list.  Malaysia  secured the ninth position, just below  Turkey  and  Germany. In 2008, Malaysia was in the eleventh position. Both  Turkey  and  Germany  climbed one rank in arrivals, occupying seventh and eighth positions respectively, while  France  continued to lead the ranks in terms of tourist arrivals. (UNWTO, 2009). USA earns the most revenue from leisure travel amounting to around $ 94.2 billion in the year 2009, followed by Spain with $53.2 billion, France and Italy with annual revenue of around $48.2 billion and $40.1 billion respectively. The other destinations that made it to the top ten lists include Chine, Germany UK, Australia, Turkey and Austria. It may be noticed in that the major income to the travel management companies in the leisure sector is through travelers traveling to the European Continent, as out of the 10 most visited countries seven are from the European Continent (WTO, 2009) Key Performance Indicators for the Travel Industry Key Performance Indicators an Overview According to the KPI Library, Key Performance Indicators are measures of business performance; also known as business or performance metrics, measures, ratios or simply performance indicators. These performance indicators can vary from company to company and from industry to industry. The key performance indicators for the Travel Management Companies can be ascertained by exploring the issues like price wars, safety and security issues, passenger demands and availability of information. These may also include supply chain information, inventory information, package tracking, flight/travel activities, and passenger details with preferences. Integration of key information and emphasis on customer loyalty also plays an important role in the success of transportation and travel industry. (Gala, 2009) Given the high number of variables in the travel booking process, each travel agent has their own preferred way of doing things. A few KPIs, which you can be useful as a starting point and to trigger further thought as per MAIA Intelligence India, are: Specifications for service delivery requirements: Response times to enquiries Ticket delivery arrangements Hours of service and out of hours arrangements Payment methodology Variety of packages provided Financial Perspective: Quantification of Financial aspect can be measured using the parameters like operating profit, % increase in planned sales, actual sales step-up ratio and % increase in travel and entertainment cost. Customer Services and Satisfaction Perspective: Customer Services and satisfaction can be taken care of by employing metrics number of ancillary facilities, favorable review index, % increase in customer base and look/book index. Internal Operations Perspective: Internal Operations can be known with number of booking channels, abroad to local bookings ratio and packaged to independent bookings ratio. Business Planning and Growth Perspective: Business planning and growth perspective can be gathered by assigning values to ticked delivery standards, disaster recovery planning effectiveness, % increase in number of tour packages sold and number of staff retention initiatives taken. (MAIA,2009) Based on the key performance indicators and analysis of success accruing to travel management companies worldwide, the success factors for the travel management companies in Karachi can be evaluated. Consumer Preference of Travel Management Companies Abroad According to a report by the Hong Kong Consumer Council (1998), Travel agents in Hong Kong have faced difficult times because of increasing customer demands and internal competition in the industry. Complaints against travel agencies had increased by 12.4% for the year 1996/97, as compared with the previous year. The purpose of the study was to assess customers expectations and perceptions of service provided by travel agents, and to explore how the service factors derived from the factor analysis were related to overall customer satisfaction. The results of the study as verified by an article published by Vincent C.S. Heung, Department of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, showed that customers perceptions of service quality revolved around the availability of All Inclusive Package Tours. Out of a total of 183 Hong Kong consumers who were surveyed and asked to rate 29 attributes that might affect their choice of travel agency for all-inclusive package tours, the results showed that of the 29 attributes, agency reputation was rated as the most important attribute in travel agency selection, followed by word-of-mouth communication and staff attitude. (Heung, 2000). In Karachi, since the total number of travel management companies operating are 245, heavy competition exists and agency reputation might b

The Sweet Thereafter Summary :: essays research papers

The movie and the novel 'The Sweet Thereafter'; had a few minor differences. Two of the differences that I would like to point out are the two that I consider being the two most important. The first topic of discussion in this paper is the picture on the front of the book and the meaning of it. The second topic I would like to bring up is the relationship between Mitchell and Zoe. The changes between the two are important, however, the main plot does not change between the movie and the novel. The first comparison I would like to make is the picture on the front of the book. The picture shows how the story affects Mitchell's life. After reading the book, watching the movie, and listening in class I realized how they reflect each other. The family on the front of the book is Stevens family. This picture was when Zoe, his daughter, was young. The mother and daughter appear to be very close. The reality within the picture is that Mitchell is not quit as close as they appear. Mitchell did not want to be that close to his family simply because he feared being to close and then losing them. The picture reminds me of the trip that the family took to North Carolina. This image comes from the end of their vacation. In the picture he seems like he is trying not to get to close to his family. One reason for this is the scare he went through with his daughter, Zoe. The scare the family went through was when Zoe got bit by a spider. When she started to swell up, her mother drove while Mitchell had to keep Zoe calm. To add to the scare Mitchell was going to have to do an emergency tracheotomy if her throat was to swell shut. They did, however, make it to the hospital on time. After getting back home that evening the mattress that Zoe slept on was burned. From that night and for the rest of the vacation Zoe slept with her parents. All during the scare with Zoe, Mitchell felt like he was two different people, a father and a doctor. The father role that he was playing was to keep his daughter calm. The doctor role of the situation was holding onto the knife ready to cut into his daughters throat at anytime, ready to save her life.

Free Color Purple Essays: Celie and Albert :: Color Purple Essays

Celie and Albert in The Color Purple  Ã‚      The relationship between Celie and Albert went through many changes throughout this novel. Albert, or Mr._________, was a man who seem to be a person who was very angry, powerful and hateful. His father was a man who believed that love was not the point while trying to find a good wife, obedience was. The woman didn't have to be attractive, rich or one who was in love, all she had to do was cook, clean and tend to the children. Albert was taught that this was the way to an successful life. Albert feel in love with Shug, they did not marry. Mr.____ was controlled by his father even as an adult. His father wouldn't allow his son to marry Shug. His father didn't want him to actually love, because he never loved himself. Albert married a woman his father approved of, and he treated her how his father taught him to. Margret cooked, cleaned and tended to the children. After his father took shug away from him, he hated his father, but was so controlled by him that he could never stand up to his father. She later died and left behind a house to be cleaned, cooking to be done and children who needed to be tended to. He fell in love again with Nettie, but she was not allowed to marry him. Albert was forced to find a quick replacement for Margret. So instead he married Celie. He beat her not only because of the angry towards his father, but also because she was neither Shug nor Nettie. In the marriage of Celie and Albert there was no love or devotion. They were just stuck with the other. Celie married Albert because her step father told her too and Albert married because he wanted a full time maid. They just went one day to the next with Albert giving the orders and Celie carrying out these orders. It was like boss and employ, except Celie was anything but rewarded for carrying out the orders. The women in those days were thought as something that a man owned. Once the women was his he was to do what he pleased with it. Celie was thought of as a item that Albert purchased, like cattle, and once he had purchased her she was his and no one else's.

Horror and Self-punishment in Sophocles Oedipus Rex Essay -- Oedipus

Horror and Self-punishment in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex An ancient plate portraying Oedipus listening to the riddle of the Sphinx. Oedipus Rex is a play whose qualities of inscrutability and of pervasive irony quickly come to complicate any critical discussion. It is a play of transformations in which things change before our eyes as we watch; where meanings and implications seem to be half-glimpsed beneath the surface of the text only to vanish as we try to take them in; and where ironical resemblance and reflections abound to confuse our response. The play encourages us to make connections and to draw out implications that in the end we are forced to reassess, to question and perhaps abandon. The play's meaning through two oppositions is defined by its stage action and its language, are parallel and complimentary to each other. The play is, in a way that determines our response to its meaning, a sequential experience. Our response is shaped through the duration of its performance. The opening of the play presents us with a gathering, the old and the young, no women, no fully adult males, so that Oedipus is, at once, magnified and isolated. His calm authority is overwhelming and majestic. But on what does Oedipus' authority rest? There is a crucial uncertainty here. The opening scenes present us with an image of Oedipus as a political figure, a human king whose power derives from the community he rules, whose perceptions and whose feelings are indissoluble bound up with the experience of the men of Thebes, whose language he speaks and where he belongs. We are swept aside as a gathering panic occupies Oedipus' mind at hearing mention of a place he remembers, where he once killed a man. If that man was Laius, Oedipus s... ...e vain attempts of mankind to escape the evil that threatens them. There is an unmistakable indication in the text of Sophocles' tragedy itself that the legend of Oedipus sprang from some primeval dream-material that had as its content the distressing disturbance of a child's relation to his parents owing to the first stirring of sexuality. At a point when Oedipus, though he is not yet enlightened, has begun to feel troubled by his recollections of the oracle, Jocasta consoles him by referring to a dream, as she thinks, it has no meaning. It is clearly the key to the tragedy and the complement to the dream of the dreamer's father being dead. The story of Oedipus is the reaction of the imagination to these typical dreams. And just as the dreams, when dreamt by adults, are accompanied by feelings of repulsion, so too the legend must include horror and self-punishment.

Can Utopia be obtained in a Capitalist Society :: essays research papers

In a capitalist society can utopia really be obtained? I really don’t think so; because if utopia is defined as a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions, then a place where everything is perfect for everyone is not likely. Perfection, I believe, cannot be obtained in a capitalist society because of competition. Competition can help society in many areas, such as improving technology, forcing individuals to work harder, and making more money for the overall economy. But ideal perfection can’t be realistic with competition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because of competition, in my opinion, perfection in laws cannot be attained. One reason I think this is true is because of the many laws that governments of a capitalist society has; such as monopoly be outlawed. Laws are not ideal perfect because they are some people who would want to generate more money and can’t because of some law that would prevent them to do so. There might also be some ethical issues between businesses that might lead to imperfection. There might be some common law within businesses that might be unfair for other business that makes society imperfect. Ideal perfection means that all people in the society are not only happy with their economic status but also have no need to improve on that, and when we have competition playing a major part in our society, there is no chance of improvement not happening.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Government perfection is really hard to attained because it is rare when everyone agrees on something that the government provides. Government has to maintain not only a good economic system, but also a stable society. In an ideally perfect government there cannot be any differentiation in taxes, nor can there be such a great difference between upper class and lower class. In a capitalistic society there is differentiation in taxes and a wide gap between upper and lower class incomes. A good, successful government in my opinion cannot be ideally perfect. I would think that that could only happen if the government controls the people, like a communist country, but then that in the society’s point of view isn’t perfect either.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Can social conditions really be perfect, ideally perfect, for everyone? This is I believe the strongest argument against attaining utopia. What is perfect social conditions, is it everyone having a job, family, and values. Is it following the economic system and trying to reach for the ultimate goal in a capitalist society, which is the bottom line.

Interpretation Paper of Luke 15

Interpretation Paper Luke 15 1. First Impressions What are your first impressions of this text? * Forgiveness, repentance, and diligence * In the Prodigal of the Lost Son the farmer celebrates the return of his son from a life of sin. Son’s sins are not what is celebrated rather his acknowledgement of his own sins and his repentance to his father. His father (the farmer) with a celebration forgives the son. * Both the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin reflect repentance, diligence and a form of forgiveness.In the Lost Sheep the man loses one sheep out of ninety-nine and searches for the one until it is found and rejoices in it. In the Lost Coin a women loses 1 coin out of 10 in her home. She cleans and sweeps until she finds the one coin and rejoices. What sounds interesting or strange to you? What do you think a 21st human being might hear in all this? * In this day and age the majority of people would search and work for the ninety-nine sheep and not the lost one, not for the one coin but for the nine others, and would reward the hardworking son over the lost son. Faith is usually not in God/Bible/Jesus but in making a profit of some sorts.Can you immediately think of a situation for which this story or these words might be helpful? * I read these words and I think of myself, my relationship with my family. The hard working, reliable daughter, who is reliable to a fault is finally able to do something with her life, received very little support. Compared to what they have done for my siblings with addiction issues. It makes me question my faith. Are there any important textual footnotes that apply to this text? * The footnotes name the parables and where each one is started and ended. 2. Translation StudyWhich of the three translations did you find the most readable to you? * Printed out the New International Version, the English Standard Version, and the American Standard Version. The New International Version was and is the m ost readable to me. What significant differences do you see in the text? * Punctuation, grammar, order of the words, and language 3. Word Study Which word do you think are most important to this text? * Lose/Lost, Rejoice/Rejoicing, Found/Find, Repent, Gathering, Joyfully What makes you think these words are important? * Many of the words are repeated and one is found in the title of the parables.What did you find out about each of these terms? * â€Å"Lost† – G622 – Apollymi – perish, destroy, lose, be lost, lost. The word lost is used forty-five times in forty-four different verses in the NIV. Blue Letter Bible. â€Å"Dictionary and Word Search for ‘†lost†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ in the NIV†. Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 13 Oct 2012. < http:// www. blueletterbible. org/search/translationResults. cfm Criteria=lost&t=NIV > * â€Å"Rejoice† – G4796 – Sygchairo – to rejoice with, take part in another’s joy à ¢â‚¬â€œ to rejoice together, to congratulate. The word rejoice is used seven times in seven verses in the NIV. Blue Letter Bible. Dictionary and Word Search for sygchairo (Strong's 4796)†. Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 13 Oct 2012. < http:// www. blueletterbible. org/lang/lexicon/lexicon. cfm Strongs=G4796&t=NIV > * â€Å"Found† – G2147 – Heurisko – to come upon, hit upon, to meet with – to find by enquiry, thought, examination, scrutiny, observation, to find out by practice and experience – to find out for one’s self, to acquire, get, obtain, procure. The word found is used 179 times in 166 verses. Blue Letter Bible. â€Å"Dictionary and Word Search for heurisko (Strong's 2147)†. Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 13 Oct 2012. < http:// www. lueletterbible. org/lang/lexicon/lexicon. cfm strongs=G2147&t=NIV&page=3 > * â€Å"Repent† – G3341 – Metanoia – change of min as it appears to one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done. The word repent is used twenty-two times in twenty-two verses. Blue Letter Bible. â€Å"Dictionary and Word Search for metanoia (Strong's 3341)†. Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 13 Oct 2012. < http:// www. blueletterbible. org/lang/lexicon/lexicon. cfm Strongs=G3341&t=NIV > * â€Å"Gathering† – G1448 – Eggizo – to bring near, to join one thing to another – to draw or come near to, to approach.This word is used forty-two times in forty-one verses. Blue Letter Bible. â€Å"Dictionary and Word Search for eggizo (Strong's 1448)†. Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 13 Oct 2012. < http:// www. blueletterbible. org/lang/lexicon/lexicon. cfm Strongs=G1448&t=NIV > 4. Grammatical Analysis Who are the principal subjects of the important verbs of this text? * Tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees, scribes Are those verbs active or passive? * Active and passive Are they past, p resent, or future tense? * Present and future Who are the direct objects? * Lost sheep, lost coin and lost son 5. Thought Progression/ContentSummarize the thought progression of the text. * Lost and Found – A man loses one sheep out of ninety-nine and goes in search of this lost sheep until he finds it. A woman loses one coin out of ten in her home. She cleans and searches until she finds this one coin. A father welcomes home a son who has sinned much to the dismay and anger of the older brother the sinful son is welcomed home. Each parable builds off of the other in depth and meaning. Have faith in the Lord and live a righteous life. Do this for each of the three sections of Luke 15. * The Parable of the Lost Sheep – A man loses one of sheep out of ninety-nine.He leaves is faithful flock behind in order to find the one that is lost. When he finds the lost sheep he takes its home and celebrates with his friends. Find joy in the one who repents then in the others who do not need to repent. * The Parable of the Lost Coin – A women has ten coins and loses one in her home. This woman cleans and searches until she finds the missing coin and when she finds it she celebrates with her friends. * The Parable of the Lost Son – A man with two sons is requested by the youngest to give him his share of an inheritance. The youngest son spends and loses all that was given to him and lives in poverty.After working for another he realizes that if he returns home to his family he will be cared for. The youngest sons returns home to his family and asks his father for forgiveness while admitting that he has sinned. His father welcomes him home with open arms and celebrates. The father’s oldest son is angered by this and questions the actions of his father. He, the oldest son, who has been loyal feels as if his father doesn’t love him, appreciate him. The father then states that because he has been so loyal to him that he the oldest son wi ll receive all that has belonged to his father. 6. Immediate Contextual StudySummarize the chapters and verses that immediately precede these? * Parable of the unfruitful fig tree * Healing of the crippled women on the Sabbath * Parable of the mustard seed * Parable of the yeast * Healing of a man with dropsy on the Sabbath * Humility Parable * Great dinner parable * The costs of discipleship What, if any impact does this text have upon their meaning or thought progression of this text? * These chapters are supportive of the thought progression in chapter 15. Summarize the chapters and verses which immediately follow this text. * The dishonest manager parable * Sayings * Parable of the rich man and Lazarus . Biblical Contextual Study Does the author deal with this subject anywhere else in this book or if he wrote another book, in that book? * In chapter 13, 14 and 16. Stories and parables of forgiveness, patience and faithfulness How does this author deal with this same event or sub ject matter in other places? * With the retelling of stories and parables. If the message of the whole Bible really is about God saving people, how do you think this fits in? * In order to â€Å"save† someone, anyone, a tremendous amount of love, patience and faith is needed. Love, patience and faith in yourself as well as the one being saved.

50’s Pop Culture Essay

Pop culture is commercial culture based on popular taste. Today’s pop culture consists of rap/ hip hop music, sagging jeans, high-top shoes, and 3D movies. In the 1950’s fashion, music, and technology was worlds apart from how it is today. Rock & Roll, Hot Rods, black leather jackets and rebellious teens are iconic images often imagined when mentioning the 1950’s in the US. History repeats itself. This fat is perhaps the most obvious when it comes to fashion. Fashion today is heavily influenced by the fashion during the 1950’s. Girls wearing bright colors, flow dresses, tight blouses, and high-waist shorts are common now, and were during the 50’s. Guys wearing fancy suits/ dress shirts, with khakis are undoubtedly coming back into style especially among â€Å"hipsters. † The â€Å"rebel† style of the 50’s with blue jeans (which everyone wears today, but were unacceptable for young women to wear) T-shirts under leather or jean jackets, with boots and long hair is becoming quite common for the youth today. Music has played a huge role in American society for over a hundred years. In the 1950’s the fastest growing genre was Rock & Roll. Largely because of teens, and they’re need to express themselves and be noticed. Music in the 50’s was one of the only things in this time embraced it fully. Country singers like Johnny Cash stayed above water because of their ingenuity, ability to adapt, and pure talent. Blues and soul artist like James Brown and Ray Charles are icons for their ability to touch people through music on a personal level. No essay about American 50’s pop culture would be complete without mentioning â€Å"The King of Rock & Roll† Elvis Presley. Almost every aspect of pop culture in the 50’s was heavily influenced by the era of Rock & Roll. Cars were no exception. Hot rods were very popular among the youth, but seen as death traps by adults. In reality â€Å"adult cars† like the Lincoln Continental were far more dangerous. Car advancements were huge during this time, like the growth of automatic transitions. Cars were simple to work on making it a hobby for many young adults. Racing and car shows became common. Learning about pop cultures from different is not only interesting but important too. It helps you understand how todays pop culture became the way it is. People that ask questions about why fashion is the way it is, or how music became how it is, can study past pop cultures for answers. 50’s pop culture changed music, fashion and technology forever!