Discussing The American Ideals In The Post War Period English Literature Essay

Discussing The American Ideals In The Post War Period English Literature Essay Throughout this essay I shall be discussing the American ideals in the post-war period. I will question whether American Culture is all about conforming to one single incontrovertible ideal. Therefore, I will be concentrating on Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman (1949) and David Mamets Glengarry Glen Ross (1982). These texts are of particular interest from a theoretical point of view because the time of their writing spans a period from the end of modernism through to post-modernism. As such they offer a valuable opportunity to examine the American dream. All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (Jefferson, 2004, p48) This pursuit of happiness is now what is seen as the American dream. A result within the evolution of economical trade, the uppermost definition of Americas pursuit of happiness is success, often rejecting the original values within the declaration, all men maybe created equal but the pursuit of happiness soon denies equality. Miller and Mamet, present plays where equality has been denied making way for the competitive world that is conforming to one single incontrovertible ideal(Clark). It was Calvin Coolidge  who said, The Business of America is Business(Coolidge, 1968, p3) highlighting America not as a land of opportunity but a land of capitalism. Coolidge goes on Of course the accumulation of wealth cannot be justified as the chief end of existence (Coolidge, 2007, p358). When looking at the two plays, it is easy to see how Coolidge came to this decision. An immediate evolution can be seen even within the titles. Millers play Death of a Salesman (1940s) shows that the play is clearly about the death of a man who was a salesman. Whereas, Mamets play Glengarry Glen Ross (1980s) is named after a plot of land, a product that is being sold. The man no longer exists but has been consumed by a world where selling is life. By using this as a starting point, it is easy to see how both Miller and Mamet create worlds were men are struggling to keep an existence as a result of the American culture. As a Master craftsman (Richards, 1976, p4) Miller uses incredible detail in his stage directions, by using an exploded set Miller was able to create dramatic effect. This setting can be seen as the destruction taken place in Willys mind. This set could also be used as a theatrical tool to represent the destruction of any male mind, forced upon by the world in which it is set. Furthermore, this setting also manages to retain the Aristotelian unity of time and place throughout the play, showing Loman not only as the typical 1940s family man, but also as a typical product of American culture. The majority of the action takes in Willys family home. The Brooklyn neighbourhood, a fashionable place to be well liked(Miller, 1949, p2329). The first of the set of stage directions say the house is in fact a dream rising out of reality(p2327) reflecting the need to accomplish ones self in a world where money is the only acceptable goal, all of Willys achievements can be see within the house. Wha t is more, this unity of time and place is also a tool that can be carried along the years to Glengarry with one difference, the family home has disappeared, the need to accomplish success is no longer to be well liked(2329), money is no longer an acceptable goal, but the only goal, this is the point where America is business. Benedict Nightingale described the Mamets characters within Glengarry as Willy Loman at work in the 1980s just as vulnerable but even more driven, even more compromised and distorted by the pressures of commerce and the harshness of society (Nightingale, p89) The willy loman at work in the 80s could also represent the exploded mind of Willy existence; an un-natural existence where everything Willy once knew has now changed, the world that was changing is now reality in Glengarry Glen Ross. Mamet disregards everything that was once natural the garden, the family, the neighbours. Instead the new nature is that of human nature that has been developed to close and always be closing(Mamet, 1982). The men are only in two places, either the office or the restaurant by taking away the family scenes. Mamet has created a play beyond Loman, an existence where there isnt a real life or a proper existence, but an exploded mind, a mind full of expletives words, empty words that dont quite connect. This disintegration of language from the 1940s Death of a Salesman to the 1980s Glengarry Glen Ross is so well presented that it was referred to by the actors of the 1992 film adaptation as Death of a Fuckin Salesman(Harris, 2008), not even the language has been completed, it has only deteriorated to the point that the Salesman has to highlight his power by being that Fuckin Salesman. The characters themselves rarely complete a sentence, never mind completing it without profanity. They never complete a deal and the play does not complete itself. Figure one (to the left), shows a poster for a Death of Salesman; it can be assumed that the image is Willy. The image could connote the idea that Willy is no longer in the spot light; he is not the successful salesman. The character has his back turned, and is a shadow of a man. Willy is a man standing still in the shadows of a world constantly moving and so he continues using his own method, powers of persuasion, talk. Willys personal representations of the American Dream are his brother Ben and the salesman Dave Singleman, and he views the success of these two men as something to aim for, he does not accept that these symbols of success are also past. As Willy looks to Dave Singleman for success, what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four . . . and be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people?(Miller, 1949, p2361) His admiration of Singlemans prolonged success illustrates his obsession with being well liked. He fathoms having people remember and love him as the ultimate satisfaction, because such warmth from business contacts would validate him in a way that his familys love does not. However, Willy Ignores, the fact that he was a single man still working at age eighty-four. Levene looks to Willy Loman as a Single-man figure, using similar tactics. Levene uses invention and improvise, he is the performative salesman, and like Willy he believes he can be successful in the future because he was successful in the past. When he performs the story of his successful sale with the Nyborgs, we actually hear Levine being referred to, as the Machine (Mamet, 1982) up to now he has been a failure; Levine believes he can sell like he could when he was still hot.(Mamet,1982) This is Levene fatal flaw, just like Willy, he has a tendency to believe what he wants to believe. There is no growth or resolution by any of the characters. Its contacts Charley, I got important contacts!(Miller, 1949, p2344) says Willy. Give me the leads!(Mamet, 1982) Says Levene. Willy dies the death of a salesman; Shelly says, I was born for a salesman Mamet, 1982, yet suffers the same fate as Willy. Levene is no longer conforming to the incontrovertible ideal but being murdered by it, the symbolic death of Levine the machine forces him to look back into the past like Loman, he depends of the glory of the past, but in this fast moving world the past doesnt exist. Levine has to try to cling on to identity talks to the end like Loman I I à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Mamet, 1982). The only resolution that appears is death, in Death of a Salesman it is the physical death of Willy, and in Glengarry, it is the ending of words, the ending of selling. Due to constant striving towards the American dream everyone seems unhappy in someway, they have not reached the incontrovertible ideal that acts a s some sort of substantial completion. As well as the American Dream, both the plays show the characters performing to another incontrovertible ideal, and that is masculinity. A man  IS  his job  and you are  fucked at yours (Mamet, 1982) Willy was his job, when his job was taken away from him, he ceased to exist. In Millers essay Tragedy of the Common Man, Miller identifies the tragic flaw of all common men as inherent unwillingness to remain passive in the face of what he conceives to be a challenge to his dignity, his image of his rightful status.(Miller, 1949, p1) Willy defines himself as a salesman, and feels that he must succeed in the business world to define himself as an accomplished man. Mamet believes that the idea that Willy perceives as being successful is the ideal that makes up the masculine identity. Mamet describes Glengarry as a gang comedy about men, work, and unbridled competition (Kane, 1992, p. 256) merging the idea that masculinity is capitalism, work is money, money is success, success is m asculine. Mamets view shows a primitive connection to masculinity, it is a gang of unbridled competition a pack like resemblance and Willys inherent unwillingness to remain passive(Miller) means he steps out of place within the gang and therefore cast aside, the same can be said for Levene. Both plays represent the idea that all men are cogs in a working machine controlled by a higher power suggesting there are not only a gang at work but also a whole pack of wolves. As Shakespeare once claimed All the worlds a stage, and all the  men and women merely players (Shakespeare, 2001,p417). In Glengarry the players are the salesmen playing in the world of Mitch Murray, the world of capitalism has become so powerful that there is no access or communication with the boss. This is where we can see the main difference between the two plays. In Death of a Salesman Willy is still able to communicate with his boss, Howard, not only communicate but also converse with. A raisonneur character is one that appears to express the authors opinions towards the subject matter. In the Death of a Salesman and Glengarry, the raisonneur puts forward an argument against the idea that American culture is all about conforming to one single incontrovertible ideal and in someway bring some morals to the narratives. I looked at the pen and I thought, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I dont want to be . . . when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am. (Miller, 1949) For the first time in this capitalistic culture we see a character fighting out against the American Dream. Biff claims he is, who he is and conforming to an incontrovertible ideal would only change him. Biff is confident explaining this to his father and goes on to explain that he comfortable with the fact that he is a dime a dozen,(Miller, 1949) accepting this allows Biff to escape the conformist culture, and escape from his fathers delusional lifestyle. Biff is now able to break away from the conventional. Biff goes on to tell his father You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all the rest of them!(Miller, 1949) Biff wants his father to know that he was successful; he was a hard working man but a victim of the American Culture. Willy cannot understand any identity that goes beyond material success and a well liked status, all promised by the American Dream. By taking control of his own life with his own dreams, Biff is the real success. It is hard to find a raisonneur character in Glengarry however; it can be argued that the act of stealing the leads is a revulsion against the capitalist hierarchy. Originally the reader is lead to believe that the thief is Aaronow, one of the quieter characters. In conversation, faster talkers like Moss and Roma easily overpower Aaronow. His dependence on the others is apparent as he tends repeat what other people are saying to him. Like Levene, Aaronow is not on the board and is in danger of getting fired. When the reader finds out Aaronow has not stolen the leads, he is then represented as a raisonneur rejecting the act, and therefore the dream. On the hand, Moss, who set up the robbery, fights against Levene, the true thief Fuck the machine (Mamet, 1982) this outburst acts as a fight against the traditional salesman. When looking at these two plays one can see how the American culture adapts to performing to the single ideal through modernism aspect of Death of a Salesman though to the condition of postmodernism in Glengarry, the disappearance of history, the death of the human and possibly humanity, a circumstance of Capitalism. As the motion moves the eternal present only exists by the next sale, there is no time to stop. Theodor W. Adorno says, In America there is no difference between a man and his economic fate. A man is made by his assets, income, position and prospects. The economic mask coincides completely with a mans inner character (Adorno, 1999, p195) the Marx critic then goes on to explain, Everyone is worth what he earns and earns what he is worth(p195) product has become everything to prove yourself, produce and materials good have become an extension of ones self. The sales office in Glengarry represents a pure capitalist culture. Separating men by success, literally by a board, the top selling gets a Cadillac and to the other extreme the bottom man gets fired. In some way this environment is backward, cutting all relationships, every character must work for his own success as well as hope for or purposely intervene, into his co-workers failure; the system is brutal and compassionless. At the plays climax, Levene questions Williamson about his motives to report him to the police, Williamson response, Because I dont like you.(Mamet,1982) Williamson, a businessman himself, has been trained to fear and hate failure. Similarly, J. Ronald Oakley claims that American are consumed by desires for status, material goods, and acceptance, Americans apparently had lost the sense of individuality, thrift, hard work, and craftsmanship that had characterized the nation (Oakley, 1960) Oakley goes on to express that this materialistic America is due to the aftermath of World War II and that it exacerbated the ethical shift as a consumer culture blossomed and Americans became preoccupied with material goods (Oakley). This has been Willys fate; his failure was already set as a man at that bottom of the capitalistic hierarchy. Willys whose world is represented in his house; it is an extension of him. Props in the play such as the refrigerator, trophy and table with three chairs(Miller, 1949), have intended to show the different modern lifestyles that Willy, as a salesman has been able to keep to. The trophy represents success and how it was in reach for the Lomans and how they were close to getting the American Dream that has resulted in Willys down fall, the main object to his fatal flaw. Miller goes as far to represent the sense of individuality, thrift, hard work, (Oakley) which Oakley speaks of. The author describes his setting as a Solid vault of an apartment houses around the small. Fragile-seeming home(Miller, 1949), a dramatic devise used by Miller to show Willys failure to be a success and also creates a very enclosed feeling, the pressure Willy is experiencing, in trying to meet the demands of work, his family and in trying to achieve ultimate success. Moreover, this failure and belief is what has carried on through to the nineteen-eighties, merging both plays together into one circular narrative, as long as Americans keep conforming to one single incontrovertible ideal the American dream will stay alive, and the stories of the salesmans death will be continued. Bibliography Adorno in Kane David Mamets Glengarry Glen Ross: text and performance. (Vol 8) Routledge, 1999 Coolidge in Fuess Calvin Coolidge The Man from Vermont,. Read Boook, 2007 Coolidge in Berg The Business of America, Harcourt, Brace World, 1968 Harris, Pacino Worldwide Movie Gallery 2008 http://www.pacinoworldwide.com/pacinoworldwidemoviegallery/id37.html Visited: 7/03/2010 Jefferson, in Bernstien Thomas Jefferson: The Revolution of Ideas. Oxford University Press US, 2004 Kane, Brass Balls: Masculine Communication and the Discourse of Capitalism in David Mamets  Glengarry Glen Ross in The Journal of Mens Studies(Vol 8) http://mensstudies.metapress.com/content/n72577l755jk307j/ Viewed 07/03/2009 Mamet, Glengarry Glen Ross (1982) in The Norton Anthology: American Literature (vol E 7th ed) Baym W.W Norton company, 2007 (3042-3074) Miller, Tragedy and the common man. Department of English, [University of California at Berkeley], 1949 Miller, Death of a Salesman (1949) in The Norton Anthology: American Literature (vol E 7th ed) Baym W.W Norton company, 2007 (2327-2389) Nightingale in Christopher Bigsby (ed) Cambridge Companion to David Mamet P89 Oakley,  Gods Country: America in the Fifties, Yale University Press, 1960 Richards, America on stage: ten great plays of American history. University of Michigan, 1976 Shakespeare, As you like it in A New Varioum Edition of Shakespeare Series Works,  Classic Books Company, 2001

Bat Case Report

Executive Summary BAT is a technology that sells financial software to individuals and organizations. BAT’s success had attracted a number of competitors. BAT differentiated itself by committing to free tech support for the life of the product. BAT started its call center operations in 1987 with 6 technicians which grew to over a 100 technicians by 2002. However, the call center has been under pressure in terms of long waiting times for customers. Such poor service was beginning to take its toll on the company’s reputation.We recommend that BAT should implement the Fast Track proposal in order to improve customer service and the company’s bottom line. We understand that free technical support is BAT’s value proposition and central to its business model, but we will show with our analysis why this is the best approach to follow. Qualitatively, 1. BAT will still maintain free support with Fast Track. Fast track will only create market segmentation. Customers on top of the market pyramid who are readily willing to pay can be tapped. . Fast Track will convert the call center from a cost center into a profit center. With the revenue being generated out of Fast Track calls, BAT can staff the call center with more technicians to improve service levels for standard callers. Current Situation BOP Team 1 is consists of 8 customer service technicians and the arrival rate of customers is 22. 5 customers/hour. The average time to deal with one customer is 18. 2 minutes. Therefore, the service rate capacity per technician is 3. 2967 customers/hour.After running the Steady-State, Infinite Capacity Queues model, the average waiting time of customers is 0. 14979 hour, which equals to about 9 minutes and there will be in average 3. 37 customers waiting in the queue. Please refer to Appendix 1 for details. Since the arrival rate and the service capacity rate cannot be shortened, increasing number of technician is the only way to shorten the average wai ting time down to less than 1 minute. We ran the model again by adding more technicians one by one, and we found that the average waiting time decrease down to about half minutes at 11 technicians.Please refer to Appendix 2 for details. Fast Track We considered different staffing plans and ran Queuing Macro for average wait time. We considered adding servers and keeping one queue, and other scenarios with dedicated Fast Track Servers. We ran Queuing Macro under five different staffing scenarios: (Please note that we have dedicated Fast track servers in Scenarios 4 and 5) Scenario No| No of Standard Servers| No of Fast Track Servers| 1| 8| 0| 2| 9| 0| 3| 10| 0| 4| 7| 1| 5| 7| 3| The following results were observed:Refer to Appendix 3 for spreadsheet calculations. As observed in the data, Scenario 2 and 3 succeed in keeping Average waiting for track customers to less than 1 minute. Scenario 2 uses less number of resources. Scenario 2 (9 technicians) is the best staffing level, without dedicated servers for Fast Track. Economics of Fast Track We’ve now established that Scenario 2 and 3 keep average wait time to less than 1 minute to help meet the Fast Track Guarantee. In Scenario2, The average server utilization is 75%, which is an adequate level.The additional yearly net revenue that can be obtained ranges from $54,325 to $376,300 depending if 10% or 40% of customers become Fast Track customers. In Scenario 3, The average server utilization is 68%, which is not as good as in the previous scenario. The additional yearly net revenue that can be obtained is also less attractive, ranging from $1,325 to $323,300. Also considering a scenario where we keep 11 technicians, The average server utilization decreases to 62%. The additional net revenue/loss that can be obtained per year is now not so attractive, ranging from a net loss of 51,675 to a net revenue of $270,300. Scenario 2 (9 Servers) offers the best revenue opportunities. Free Service for Fast customers waiting over 1 minute. We did some simulations to see what happens if BAT offers Fast Track service, charging $2 / minute, but giving the service for free if the customer waits over 1 minute. According to the â€Å"Queuing† macro, with 1 additional server there is a 30. 7% chance that any given customer (whether Fast Track or Standard) will wait more than 1 minute.Considering that 10% of these customers are Fast Track individuals, we obtain an arrival rate of 30. 7% * 10% * 22. 5 customers/hr = 0. 69 customers / hr. On the other hand, considering that 40% of customers are Fast Track individuals, we obtain an arrival rate of 30. 7% * 40% * 22. 5 customers/hr = 2. 7 customers / hr This means that, on average, the number of Fast Track customers who will wait over 1 minute ranges from 0. 69 / hr to 2. 7 / hr. In other words, roughly anywhere from 1 to 3 Fast Track customers per hour will be waived from the Fast Track fee.As seen on Appendix â€Å"xxxxx† (Table 4), this rep resents a loss of annual revenue ranging between $2,197 and $8,786. However, despite declines in revenue, this fee-waiver option will surely improve customer’s experience and customer loyalty. Therefore, we recommend Scenario 2 (hiring 1 additional server) in order to implement Fast Track, charging $2 / minute and including the fee-waiver option if waiting time exceeds 1 minute. Service Contracts vs Pay per call There are several aspects to consider when deciding if BAT should offer service contracts or just pay-per-call.Firstly, offering charged technician support goes against BAT’s original value proposition, however, pay-per-call maintained free service option. Also, pay-per-call could differentiate itself from the industry norm. It is easier for customers to accept. BAT has been offering free technician service to support its product since the founding of the company. Free technician support is part of BAT’s value proposition to customers. While charging pay -per-call service is already deviating from BAT’s core value, following the industry norm to offer service contracts could negatively impact the value proposition of BAT.Secondly, offer service contracts require higher investment caused by increased volume of customer calls. With pay-per-call service, customer will only call technician support when they are encountering problems that are urgent and customer can not only solve by themselves in a timely fashion. And since the call is charged on the minute basis, customers are more likely to keep the call short. Whereas, with service contracts, customers could call technician support with any question, and tend to stay on the line longer that they actually need to.There will be an increase of number of phone calls if BAT decides to offer service contracts. The increase of number of phone calls and prolonged time for each phone call will require BAT to invest heavily in terms of human resource and training. Overall, in terms of e conomic value and flexibility in operation, the Pay-per-call option is more preferable than service contracts. Pay-per-call requires less investment in human resource and training, also it has the flexibility to not charge customer, if their waiting time exceeds 1 minute.

Memorandum-Statement of Cash Flows Essay

Memorandum To:Stockholders of Carpino Company CC:Ms. Lydia Money, Chief Executive Officer From:W. E. Count, Financial Analyst Date:10/5/13 Re:Corporate Financial Position/Statement of Cash Flows I have been charged to examine the Financial Statements of Carpino Company for the purpose of providing an objective opinion regarding organizational capacity to generate sufficient cash to continue as a going concern. Toward that end, I have examined financial statements and have prepared the attached Statement of Cash Flows for the Year Ended January 31, 2007. I am pleased to inform Carpino Company stockholders that your company has successfully begun the transition from the introductory phase to the growth phase of operations and your prospects for continued financial growth are excellent. Carpino Company’s Statement of Cash Flows confirms that the organization enjoyed a high performing first year of operations with a net increase of cash of $105,000. Substantial investments were made in the purchase of productive assets during Year One totally an amount of $410,000. These assets will support and facilitate growth efforts going forward. Rest assured that expenditures for inventory will decrease significantly beginning with Year Two, with primarily repair and upgrade expenditures being incurred. Stock issues were made for the purchase of productive assets in the amount of $10,000. Carpino used $325,000 in investing activities in the hopes to create higher capital in the future. This financing debt has likewise peaked during Year One. In spite of the cash outlays required to sufficiently introduce and sale your brand. Carpino experienced a net increase in cash of $105,000.00 at the end of Year One. Doing so speaks of outstanding management of company resources and is highly commendable. Carpino Company is now positioned for tremendous growth and the generation of increased cash flows. As stockholders, you should be pleased with the foundation on which Carpino Company has been built. The organization is poised for great success in the foreseeable future. By closely monitoring financial operations and analysis of the Statement of Cash Flows, you should expect to experience stable and profitable operations for many years to come. Thank you. Sincerely, W. E. Count, Financial Analyst Carpino Company Statement of Cash Flows For the year ended January 31st, 2007

Witches, Lady Macbeth and Macbeths Responsibility for...

Witches, Lady Macbeth and Macbeths Responsibility for Macbeth’s Downfall Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth shows the downfall of a wrongfully crowned king. But his downfall is not solely due to himself. There are other characters in the play that are part of his downfall. If it weren’t for them, the play would not work. They are part of a chain, one leading to another. The play would not have ended in the same manner, even if one of these characters hadn’t played their part. They all affect each other and Macbeth’s tragic end is the outcome. The first set of characters that affect Macbeth and begin the chain are the witches. From the very first scene we can see that they want Macbeth’s end to be a†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"3rd Witch: All hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!† This has not happened yet. They leave Macbeth to interpret the greetings himself. They do not address Macbeth again until they hail him before they mysteriously vanish. But the witches know what the outcome of what they said would be because apparently witches were able to predict the future. Witches purportedly, had their powers as a result of selling their souls to the devil. This means that the witches know the outcome and affect Macbeth in the right way to lead him to thinking about murder, kings and power. Their plan works and as seen soon after in a conversation with Banquo, is implying that murder is going through Macbeth’s mind, and we can see this when Macbeth says â€Å" My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical†, Not only do the witches spur on his want to be king but condemn Banquo by telling him, â€Å"Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none†, meaning his heirs will be kings. Later on in the play Macbeth sets his mind back to this moment, when on the throne, which makes him think that Banquo is a threat as his heirs will be Macbeth’s successor. 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