Isolation in The Metamorphosis Essay

Franz Kafka’s short story â€Å"The Metamorphosis† centers on the theme of isolation. In the lead character’s transformation he experiences a deep isolation towards society now. What this isolation leads to is to a series of events, that cause Gregor’s isolation to grow. Eventually isolation leads to Gregor’s death. Isolation and its after effects are the central themes involved in the â€Å"The Metamorphosis. † Isolation is the state of an individual being separated from other individuals. Isolation involves both the mental state of an individual and the physical state of the individual. Further isolation also involves the individual’s belief versus societies’ believes. This paper will argue that Gregor’s transformation into a bug is a symbolic representation of one’s difficulty in accepting the isolation reality. The notion of the isolation is first realized in the author’s work in section . The reader can see that Gregor’s isolation started before the transformation occurred when Gregor mentions â€Å"That’s all I’d have to try with my boss; I’d be fired on the spot. Anyway, who knows if that wouldn’t be a very good thing for me. If I didn’t hold back for my parents’ sake, I would have quit long ago. † It is at this point that the reader realizes that Samsa was mentally isolated from the society he lived in before the transformation occurred. Gregor had wished to be free from work long before his transformation occurred, but society expected Gregor to work and to provide food for his family, something that Gregor didn’t want. Gregor’s isolation before the metamorphosis occurred was that he wanted freedom and society wanted him to work. By Gregor showing different believes than the rest of the society the reader realizes that Gregor was somehow already a loner even before the transformation occurred. The notion isolation also affects Gregor in section III. Some readers believe that Gregor Samsa’s experience is centered on Morality and Ethics. These people believe that Gregor is treated different because he is no longer a human in a physical state. However this notion limits the whole picture of why Gregor is treated differently. Gregor’s isolation towards society is true picture why he is treated differently. If the other notion of morality and ethics were to be chosen many aspects of â€Å"the Metamorphosis† would be lost. These lost would be would be the ability of the reader to see how isolation has both affected Gregor inside and outside. My notion of â€Å"the Metamorphosis† portrays events in the past that show Gregor’s isolation were morality and ethics notion lacks of. Many notions in the past have been presented to try to present what Kafka’s â€Å"The Metamorphosis really portrayed.

How does Golding build up to the final emergence of the beast on the island? Essay

In this essay, I will be covering the element of the novel, â€Å"Lord of the Flies†, in which the â€Å"beast† emerges and causes the spread of evil amongst the group of boys. I will also explain how this has significance throughout the novel, how the previous events build up to this moment, why William Golding included this section, and his reasoning for writing the novel. The novel â€Å"Lord of the Flies† raises controversial issues of morality, basic human instinct and society in general. William Golding, the author of â€Å"Lord of the Flies†, portrays very strong beliefs concerning the capacity for evil, inborn into every human being, and these beliefs are portrayed throughout the novel in the way that the learned morals of civilisation and society gradually slip away from the group of boys, and they degenerate into savages, to eventually represent the â€Å"beast† on the island. This is what Golding believed was the â€Å"capacity for evil†. He suggested that, once all learned morals of society have slipped away, leaving only the raw nature which humans first possessed, there is a space where civilisation used to lie; the capacity for evil. He calls it this because he believed, that when all morals are non-existent, and human beings have absolved themselves from responsibility, there is nothing to prevent humans from committing evil deeds. Golding served as a naval officer during the war and through his experience, and through what he saw, he gradually learned that human nature was, perhaps, not as civilised as he previously perceived. He was appalled by how people were ready and willing to harm their fellow men knowing that that there would be no consequences and no reprimand for their actions; the Nazi concentration camps, where Jews were exterminated like rats, the way that the Japanese mistreated their prisoners, the mass bombing of civilians by Britain and America, and even some of the actions that he himself carried out upon people who were not even responsible for the situation. People would do things that they would never have contemplated, had the responsibility been theirs. People justified their actions by holding the belief that â€Å"right† was on their side; however, Golding soon began to question whether people actually believed this, or whether they were just trying to convince themselves that they were not doing wrong. He learned that without rules and boundaries, all human nature could turn savage and unrepentant. In a psychological experiment carried out in America, to observe the limits of human nature, it emerged that, if people were absolved of all responsibility for their actions, and if the responsibility for their action lay with somebody else, then a person was capable of doing things to their fellow human beings that they would’ve previously never have contemplated, had they been limited by the confinements of civilisation and the responsibilities of society. This is shown in the book, by the boys’ capacity for evil rising in proportion to the loss of moral confinements and civilisation. Throughout the novel, the evil on the island is represented by the idea of the â€Å"beast† which is eventually unleashed from within the boys, after all traces of the morals of civilisation have vanished. Throughout the novel, Golding uses strong images and underlying implications to build up to, and prepare the reader for the moment that the â€Å"beast† emerges and causes the ultimate destruction of everything that represents civilisation on the island. The setting for the novel is on a tropical island, often associated with paradise. This is a parallel with R.M. Ballantyne’s â€Å"Coral Island†, where a group of boys are deserted on a desert island, and work together to from a society in which they can function. When reading â€Å"Lord of the Flies† the immediate images that are conveyed, are ones of a tropical paradise, and the immediate conclusions drawn, are that the boys will be able to function correctly. However, in order to convey his deep concerns regarding human nature and the capacity for evil, Golding creates images very early on in the book, that suggest the island is not quite the paradise that we initially perceived it to be. Weaved intricately amongst the descriptions of the island as a paradise is imagery suggesting a malevolent presence; â€Å"witch-like cry† and the religious inferences of the fruits, such as in the Garden of Eden, which actually makes the boys ill, and gives them diarrhoea, all suggest the somewhat sinister undertones of the novel, which unfurl to a greater level as the novel progresses. We are introduced to Ralph and Piggy very early on in the novel, and we become immediately aware of the social divide between the two, a factor that will unite the boys later in the novel. Ralph is a well spoken and considers himself to be superior to Piggy, because Piggy speaks with poor grammar in comparison. This creates an outsider early on in the novel, and Piggy becomes a subject of ridicule, somebody that doesn’t matter, and someone who provides an easy target for murder, once the boys have degenerated into savages. In the first chapter, after Ralph has blown the conch and all of the boys have gathered, we are given our first impression of the choir as a â€Å"beast† or a creature. â€Å"Something dark was fumbling along†¦the creature stepped from mirage onto clear sand†. The choir has a military style of discipline, which is more apparent than the disciplines of their religion, and they obey Jack when he gives orders. We become aware instantly of Jack’s desire for power, and of the authority that he can command. When Jack comes forward, he â€Å"vaulted onto the platform with his cloak flying† which gives the impression of a creature of mythological evil, such as a vampire. This is where we first become aware of the prominence of Jack, and it hints at the possibility of Jack becoming some sort of dominating, evil presence in the novel. There is also the connection between Piggy, and the hunting of the pigs, which are considered to be of a lower standing in the food chain on the island; they are inferior, as is Piggy. From the beginnings of the novel, Jack sees Piggy as almost below human, and uses him as a target, when in reality, it is Jack who is the first to descend below humanity. There is a theory, regarding the degeneration into a tyrannical society, that, for this descent to begin, it is necessary to find â€Å"an inferior†, which is what all of the boys, with exception possible to Simon, find in Piggy. This provides a base, very early in the novel, for society on the island to degenerate into tyranny and savagery. The boys begin with an idea for the island of paradise; they will form a civilised society, and begin by having a vote on who should be the Chief. The idea of a vote excites them; it is an â€Å"adult† thing to do, a symbol of democracy, as is the conch, but is also a symbol of their old life and of society in general, an aspect which all of the boys wish to recreate on this island. Jack is adamant that he should be the chief, again confirmation of his desire for power. He justifies his claim with â€Å"simple arrogance, â€Å"because, I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp.† His claim to chieftaincy are all physicality’s, he does not have leadership qualities, and his desire for physical power emerges further as the novel progresses, e.g. the whipping to initiate people into his tribe etc. Jack cares deeply about what the other boys think of him, and when he is not chosen as chief, Jack’s face disappears â€Å"under a blush of mortification† which implies that, for the rest of the novel, Jack may always have this deep jealousy of Ralph, and eventually try to displace him as leader. As this tension build up through the novel as the morals of society become less apparent, Jack’s attempt to displace Ralph completely ends with him ordering the killing of Ralph, when the taboo’s of the old life have completely disappeared. When Ralph tells Jack that the hunters are his to be whatever he wants them to be, he is quick to decide that they should be hunters, almost like some primitive tribe, which is eventually what the boys shall become, beginning with pigs and then eventually other members of the group. The hunter’s capacity to kill living things increases as the rules of society that are etched in their minds are forgotten. We are given subtle hints by Golding, that there is something particular about Jack, which leads him to express the evil side or the â€Å"beast† in his personality more so than other characters. Once Jack has degenerated to this level, it enables others to do so, as it absolves them from the responsibility and consequences of their actions, being part of on mass rather than being an individual. Firstly, Jack is shown to dislike democracy, when he â€Å"started to protest† at the idea of a vote for the Chief. He is more in favour of a dictatorship than a democracy, and with the formation of his own tribe, he becomes more than a leader, â€Å"†¦ painted and garlanded, sat there like an idol.† He doesn’t really care what others want, so long as he is happy. Jack is more likely to forget the rules and regulations of society if he were to benefit from doing so. Despite losing out in the vote, Jack and Ralph still wish to work together, â€Å"Jack and Ralph smiled at each other with shy liking† symbolising the need for cooperation in society, an image that is still firmly imprinted on the mind of every boy on the island. We become aware of the destruction on the island caused by the boys, very early on. The first instance of this is the mark made by the passenger tube of the plane on the island, which is described as a â€Å"scar†. The boys have already to destroy the island even with the civilities of their old life, and the boys, Jack, Ralph and Simon, commit their first act of intentional group destruction, by pushing the boulder down the mountain, whilst they investigate the island. We are then led to question, with this amount of destruction caused by the boys when they are still bound by the invisible limitations of society, what are they capable of when the taboo’s of their old life have broken down? This is answered when the beast finally emerges as the basic human nature of the boys, and climaxes with the death of Simon, who symbolises the pure side of human nature. In the early part of the novel, the limitations of society are clearly apparent, for example, when Jack cannot bring himself to kill the pig, â€Å"what an enormity that downward stroke would be† he tries to make excuses for himself, he cares about what the other think, â€Å"I was choosing a place†¦I was just waiting†¦to decide where to stab him.† However, it is obvious to the reader that he could not kill the pig, because, etched in his mind, is the firm image that killing is wrong, and that in his society, it is not acceptable. When the boys get back to the rest of the group, the begin to make plans for the island, â€Å"We’ll have rules†¦Lots of rules†¦Then when anyone breaks ’em—–.†They want a democratic society, the conch symbolises this democracy, they all want to recreate the civilisation that they knew at home, even Jack. The boys compare their situation to books regarding paradise islands where they can form a society of their own. However, Golding has already hinted that things may not be quite so perfect as the boys have perceived. The boys want to have fun on this island, and enjoy themselves, which could be seen as the eventual downfall of the boys and of the society that they try to create. As their society becomes forgotten, rescue, the most important thing in the beginning, becomes less important, and having fun dominates the agenda of most boys. When Ralph talks about the island, he says that things need to be done, and that they need to be rescued, but until then, they shall have fun. â€Å"It’s a good island. Until the grown-ups come to fetch us we’ll have fun.† This is ironic because, in Chapter Eight, when Simon is talking to â€Å"The lord of the Flies†, it says to him, â€Å"We are going to have fun on this island. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island!† implying that the beast within each boy is ultimately their desire for â€Å"fun†, and when the taboo’s of the old life have vanished, the beast can fully emerge and enable the boys to become absolved of all remorse that their old life would have made them feel. The first instance of â€Å"the beast† being manifested from the human mind as a physical thing is when the small boy is urged forward, and speaks to Piggy. He has ideas of a â€Å"snake thing† and a â€Å"beastie† of which the older boys are dubious of at first. However, the general mood of the boys changes, â€Å"There was no laughter at all now and more grave watching.† Despite Ralph’s being adamant that the beast does not exist, many of the other boys are not sure, and this is the first time in the novel that the beast becomes a real prospect. When the boys first decide that they need a fire, all of the boys are keen to join in. They are working as one. Jack takes pride in his civilised world, â€Å"we’re not savages. We’re English, and the English are best at everything.† This is also ironic, for it is in fact Jack who degenerates into such a savage, capable of unspeakable deeds when not bound by the rules of society. When the fire rages out of control, it is another symbol of the destruction caused by the boys. It is describes almost as an animal, â€Å"a bright squirrel† â€Å"began to gnaw† â€Å"a kind of wild life, crept as a jaguar†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this is also referring to the possibility of the group of boys again causing destruction as one body, as an animal, which later becomes apparent when all of the boys, including Piggy and Ralph, become absorbed in the primitive dance as one body, which ends with the death of Simon. Ralph begins to see the capacity for destruction on the island, â€Å"the beginnings of awe at the power set free below them†¦the awe made him savage.† This is ironic because it is Ralph who, despite becoming involved in the dance that kills Simon, does not descend to savagery. The third chapter begins with Jack, crouched down on a hunt, and acting as a true hunter would, following a trail, examining a cracked twig etc. We are introduced to a side of Jack that is more animal-like, he is described as â€Å"dog like† and this is a reflection on how he begun the gradual descent to savagery. Whilst he still bears the majority of the social qualities imprinted on his mind, it is now very easy to believe that he may have lost the social factor which prevents him from harming another creature, and that the prospect of Jack killing a pig, is now very possible. When he fails to catch the pig, he join the others on the beach where Ralph and Simon are attempting to build the shelters, without the help of the others, who have all gone off to play. This is a reminder of the desire for fn, they don’t want to work, and this desire for fun, part of a series of events that will ultimately lead to the emergence of the beast. This is also the first incident in which we see the conflict of ideas from Ralph and Jack, and we see the conflict of interests as Jack’s moral values deteriorate. Ralph ants to get the shelters finished, whereas Jack wants to hunt, â€Å"They were both red in the face and found looking at each other difficult.† When they change the subject, it eventually leads to the beast again, how the â€Å"beast† frightens the â€Å"littluns† and how they are beginning to doubt the island themselves, and the luxuries that they once thought is gave them. When Simon suggests that it is â€Å"as if the beast ie†¦or the snake thing was real.† this causes a slight apprehension amongst the boys, and, whilst they attempt to disregard the thoughts of the beast, the presence is undeniably felt. When Ralph talks about being rescued, we are given another subtle hint of Jack’s gradual loss of civility when â€Å"Jack had to think for a moment before he could remember what rescue was.† His priorities have changed, he no longer cares so much about being rescued, but he is being consumed by the will to hunt and have fun, he is being consumed by the beast from within himself. Throughout the novel, Simon is portrayed as an almost prophetic figure, with an ability to see the truth of situations. His refuge is in the forest, in an area surrounded by bushes adorned with flowers similar in appearance to candles, he seeks nature. A bush with candles on it is a symbol of the church, and this imagery further confirms his role as a prophetic figure. There is also the religious inference at Simon’s death and the manner in which he was killed; a prophetic figure murdered by his own people. At the beginning of Chapter Four, it become clear that the boys have now adapted to the natural method of time keeping; the Sun, as opposed to traditional methods, which would have been prominent in their society. This is again symbolic of the loss of the influences of their old way of life, which in turn leads to the descent into savagery. Despite this, many of the boys still felt the ties with their old way of life very strongly, as if it was etched deeply into the far reaches of their minds, and despite the gradual descent suffered by the vast majority of the boys, many had not descended to the extent that Jack had. For example, when Roger and Maurice kicked over the sand castles built by some of the younger children, this is symbolic of the destruction of the society that they knew. However, when Maurice kicked sand in the young child’s eye, he â€Å"still felt the unease of wrong-doing†¦formed the outlines of an excuse.† Also, when Roger throws stones at one of the young children, he threw to miss, because, â€Å"there was a space around Henry†¦into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of old life†¦the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law. Roger’s arm was conditioned by civilisation.† The next stage in Jacks deterioration is when he absolves himself of responsibility, and liberates himself behind the mask. It became a new face, he became â€Å"an awesome stranger† and Jack’s â€Å"laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling†¦the mask was a thing on it’s own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self consciousness.† The snarling is symbolic of Jack’s descent to his basic animal instincts, to hunt and survive, and now that he has been liberated from shame, it suggests that he could now be capable of anything without remorse. It is also this chapter in which Jack’s hunters let the fire out in order to go hunting, when there is a ship on the horizon and the possibility of rescue is more real. However, with no signal, they are not rescued. This is what finally portrays to the reader Jack’s loss of morals, when he has killed his first pig and is confronted by Ralph for letting the fire out. Jack is â€Å"vaguely irritated by this irrelevance but too happy to let it worry him†. It is clear from this that Jack has forgotten the importance of the fire because the civilisation of his previous life has been forgotten, and he is also incredibly satisfied at killing his first pig, something that he would not have contemplated doing had the morals of his old life been present. We can see from Jack’s actions that the lack of civilisation has allowed him, gradually, to lose all morals and this has allowed him to degenerate to the level of a savage. The group, as a whole, have not lost the morals of their old life to the extent that Jack has, and this can be seen in stages of the dance, when they mime the killing of the pig. The first stage is symbolic of the slight loss of morals, which has enabled them to hunt. When Maurice enters the ring as they chant, the mimed the actions, â€Å"pretended to beat him.† Later in the novel, when Robert plays the part of the pig, the actions of the group are a lot more sinister, and they cause real pain to him. After wards, they try to justify it as â€Å"a good game† nothing more. The final stage of the groups decline is when they perform the dance that ends with the death of Simon. In Chapter Five, Ralph calls a meeting and we see all together, the extent to which the society has diminished, due to the loss of morals. He talks about people getting frightened, again symbolising the indisputable presence of the beast on the island. Jack takes this opportunity to exert his authority, he could hunt the beast, and he knows that if he can make the others rely on him to keep them safe from the beast, they will trust him. One child, who wished to speak, begins to tell Piggy the information that had been drummed into his head from his old life, his name, address and telephone number. When he cannot remember, we are reminded of the gradual loss of civilisation, which was once firmly imprinted into the minds of all children on the island. When he says that the beast comes from the sea, the other boys begin to doubt their own belief that the beast does not exist, and the meeting descends into disorder. When Simon speaks, he tries to convey his own interpretation of the beast. His interpretation of the beast is that is something that comes from within people, but he lacks the articulate vocabulary that he needs to express his views, and nobody can understand what he means. Simon is the most perceptive of the boys on the island, and he has the ability to see the truth of the situations, but he does not have the means to convey his thoughts. At the end of the chapter, Ralph prays for a message from the grown up world, and in Chapter Six, they receive one. However, no boy is awake to see what it really is, and it becomes, for the boys, the embodiment of the beast, when, as the reader knows, this is not the case. It is Sam ‘n Eric who are first to spot the â€Å"beast†, whilst they are manning the fire. The boys became united in the need to rid the island of this beast, but the opposing characters of Jack and Ralph are shown again. Jack sees this as a real hunt, whereas Ralph is more realistic about the prospect of hunting the beast. This brings the two to argue again, and they eventually decide to go up the mountain. When Ralph goes on his own, he sees the sea, describes as â€Å"some stupendous creature†¦the sleeping leviathan† as a horrible monster, or almost as a beast. It is as if the beast has begun to swallow the island, and become part of everything around the boys. Ralph begins to long for the luxuries of his old life, to â€Å"cut this filthy hair right back to half an inch†¦have a bath†¦with soap†¦a toothbrush would come in handy too.† He is the only boy who is consciously remembering the ways of his old life, and yearning for them. When Simon speaks to him, he tells him â€Å"I just think you’ll get back all right.† Notice the use of you’ll and not we’ll, it is almost as if Simon has foreseen his own death. There is evidence that, despite Ralph never actually descending to the level of a savage, he does feel compelled to join in with the hunters, and actually becomes part of their society, albeit only temporarily, to join in with some of the deeds that are incomprehensible as an individual. For example, he joins the other boys on a hunt, and hits a pig with the spear. He gains a great deal of joy out of doing this, which symbolises the overall demise of everything that good and civilised on the island, and not even Ralph can escape it. After this, the hunters, including Ralph, re-enact the hunt, with Robert playing the part of the pig. Whereas before, the dances such as this were not violent, all of the boys become absorbed in this primal dance, gaining satisfaction out of hurting another human. â€Å"Robert was screaming and struggling with the strength of the frenzy.† â€Å"Ralph too was fighting to get near†¦The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering.† Ralph uneasily tries to justify what he just did. He knows that it was wrong, but as a member of the hunt, he was no longer an individual, and became capable of causing harm to another. This shows how the beast has become an overwhelming power amongst the boys, even Ralph. When Jack sees the â€Å"beast† on the mountain, he is absolutely terrified, which makes us remember that he is only a child, despite what he has done on the island, due to his loss of morals and ethics. The â€Å"beast† is â€Å"something like a great ape† a simile used often in the novel to symbolise evil. When they tell the other boys, Jack comes to the conclusion that the beast is a hunter, which reaffirms his â€Å"age old tremors in the forest† and the feeling that he had, when he was hunting, of being the hunted. Jack becomes insulted by Ralph, and tries to turn the other boys against him. He tries to displace him as chief, and fails. His concern for what others think of him causes hi great embarrassment, â€Å"Slowly, the red drained from Jack’s cheeks, then came back with a painful rush.† He decides that he can no longer remain under Ralph’s Chieftaincy, and left to form his own tribe, inviting others to join him. Initially, nobody does, but gradually, more and more of the boys leave to join Jack’s tribe. Jack has the ability to unite the boys against a common enemy, for most of the part this was Piggy, an obvious outsider, and this ability to unite the group is similar to the fascist leaders in the Second World War. Because Golding wrote the novel shortly after World War Two, after the devastation had swept through the world, he was able to witness the power of the fascist leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini, and the effect they had over the people who they ruled. Golding depicts the power of the leaders in the book, and Jack’s character resembles the fascist powers of the war. The way in which Hitler came to power is similar to the way that Jack eventually displaces Ralph. The situation in Germany after the First World War was one of devastation and despair. The reparations that the Germans were forced to pay and the Wall Street Crash crippled the German economy and people rebelled against the government. Hitler used this as a way to gain support and become powerful, promising Germans that he would make their country strong again, and provide them with the things that they needed. People joined him out of desperation, needing the things that he was promising. This is similar to the way Jack gained support, because he was aware of the doubt and fear that was spreading through the boys. He promised them meat and fun, which they gratefully accepted, leaving Ralph to join Jack’s tribe. Simon suggests climbing the mountain, to see the beast. But nobody else agrees. Climbing a mountain is one of the oldest symbolisations of the struggle and the search for truth. When Simon does climb the mountain on his own, he does find the truth, and we are led to the moment where the beast is finally unleashed within the boys, and Simon is killed before he can tell them the good news. When Jack has formed his own tribe, and they go to hunt together, we see that Jack has now become a savage with no remorse, just barbaric cruelty. This is inferred when they kill the sow, for not only will she die, but the piglets also, who would have fed them in the future. It is no longer about hunting for food, but for pleasure and satisfaction of hurting another living being. Jack insists on leaving the head as an offering for the beast, he sees it as a superior hunter, almost as a god, and that they should worship it. Jack’s tribe, towards the end of the novel, are described as savages, which suggest they have completely abandoned all civilisations, and lead the lives of animals. The reasons for this can be linked to the theories held by Charles Darwin, who formed the theory of evolution, in which the fittest survive, creating a species of increasing strength. A prime example of this occurrence is in groups of wild animals, such as lions. Only the strongest male is allowed to mate with the females, and must fight off competition from other males. Although there were no females on this island, Jack displayed natural urges such as this, because the basic instinct in humans is the same as the basic instinct in animals, and that this basic instinct to lead and be powerful is still present. The language that Golding uses when the boys hunt, suggests that the sexual desire to hunt and be the leader is still present, even thought there are no females on the island. The boys follow the pig, â€Å"wedded to her in lust† which shows natural sexual instinct, which is present in nature; the male lion wants to become the leader of the pack in order to produce offspring. Once Jack had gained control of the group, he began to create fear amongst the boys. He reinforces the idea of the beast by leaving an offering for it. This makes the boys fear more extreme; if Jack believes in the beast, then surely it must be real. The tension, which builds up to the point when the beast emerges, is symbolised by the weather. â€Å"There were no shadows under the palms†¦only this strange light†¦among the bulging clouds thunder went off like a gun.† This tension builds up as this section of the novel progresses, and is constantly symbolised by the build up of the weather, which climaxes with the storm as the actions of the boys climax with the killing of Simon. As Simon speaks the Lord of the Flies, (which literally translates as Beelzebub, or the Devil), he hears the Lord of the Flies say what he already knew, deep down, but could not convey to the others. â€Å"I’m the Beast†¦You knew didn’t you? I’m part of you?†¦I’m the reason why it’s no go.† Simon is aware that this represents the beast that is present in all of the boys. â€Å"You know perfectly well you’ll meet me down there – so don’t try to escape!† This symbolises the fact that the beast is now everywhere, surrounding the island, it is part of everything, and has destroyed the limitations of society. The beast tell Simon that they shall have fun, no matter what, which corresponds with Ralph saying in the beginning of the novel that they shall have fun. It is this, the beast, the desire for fun that has brought about the destruction of society and the loss of morals. â€Å"We shall do you. See? Jack a nd Roger and Maurice and Robert and Bill and Piggy and Ralph. Do you. See?† It is almost as if Simon has foreseen his own death. The build up of tension continues, â€Å"the build p of clouds continued†¦until the air was ready to explode.† When Simon finds the parachutist on the rock, he freed him, and realises what the boys have all been afraid of, he resolves to go down the mountain, and tell the others. â€Å"the thunder exploded again†¦big drops of rain fell among them†¦the flickering light became brighter and brighter and the blows of the thunder were only just bearable.† The boys have become not a group, but a tribe, and they can think of nothing else to do, than their tribal dance. Even Piggy and Ralph take part in the dance, â€Å"under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take part in this demented, but partly secure society.† Ralph feels that he would rather become part of this savage society, than be completely excluded, he find some comfort in the knowledge that he is not an individually but part of a larger body. â€Å"the ring yawned emptily.† As if it needs to be filled by something. The beast is beginning to emerge, as the tribe becomes one creature, totally absolved of all responsibility for their actions, which would not apply, were they individuals, â€Å"the throb and stamp of a single organism.† the organism in effect, being the beast. The ring becomes horseshoe shaped a Zulu hunting technique, as the tension continues to build up. As Simon stumbles into the ring, the narrator refers to him as the beast, symbolic of what the boys think he is. However, in the next few lines, the narrator refers to him as Simon, suggesting perhaps that there is something in the boys that do still recognise him. It also uses the word â€Å"him† not â€Å"it†, which is very specific. If they had truly believed Simon to be the beast, then the gender would be irrelevant. The narrator then goes back to using the work beast, to imply Simon, which implies there is now no knowledge of Simon, and the boys, â€Å"screamed, struck, bit, tore†¦tearing of teeth and claws† The boys are now described as animals, they are, as one the true beast, and it has been unleashed on the island, as all traces of morals and ethics have vanished. The lack of humanity left in the boys causes them to see Simon as the beast. However, in the passage concerning Simon’s body being washed out to sea, he becomes Simon again, as the boys become themselves again, not one giant organism. Simon is made â€Å"silver† and dignified, marble like, by the sea taking him back to nature, the very thing that he originally sought after. Simon’s death symbolises the death of belief, of decency and compassion, and the ability to see the truth. It has led to the total demise of good and decency on the island. Also, now that they have seen the parachutist, they believe in the beast more than ever, and now Simon is dead, there is nobody who can tell them the truth, and Jack uses this fear of the beast to control his tribe. Ralph is the only boy who can admit to what they have done to Simon, even Piggy tries to justify what they did, but only Ralph admits that it was murder, which symbolises the fact that Ralph has not quite succumb to the beast, as the majority of the other boys have done. The final taboo on the island was to kill another human, and now that this taboo has been broken, there is nothing to stop Jack from doing whatever he desires. Not only has Jack degenerated to this level, but also other members of his tribe have, and we see this later in the novel, when Ralph and Piggy go to see Jack at the other end of the island, for it is Roger, not Jack who drops the boulder, killing Piggy, and smashing the conch. With the destruction of the conch, democracy is destroyed, which is symbolic of the fact that democracy is a fragile thing, and can only work when everybody believes in it. In this novel, Golding was questioning the capacity for evil in all humans, and whether the basic instinct of all humans is evil, where they will stop at nothing for the basic desire for power, but that civilisation prevents this from being exposed. Throughout the novel, we can see that, in Golding’s opinion, human nature has the ability to turn savage, under the right conditions. The boys begin with a glorious image, similar to that of Coral Island of a beautiful island paradise, which they can inhabit and live happily and have fun until they are rescued. In the beginning we see that the boys have a strong desire to recreate a society similar to the one that they have just left. They want rules and regulations, and all of the things that make a civilised society work. Despite this, we see that, in Golding’s opinion, without the moral restraints that are present in a civilised society, the basic human nature to survive will kick in, causing all traces of morals and ethics to be forgotten, until the human has degenerated into a primeval savage, capable of doing anything in order to survive. They become not human, but animals, beasts, and this emerges as the morals of their old life disappear. He believed that it was society that gave you an identity, without society, and therefore identity, humans would become absolved from all responsibilities and could therefore commit un-comprehendible deeds without remorse. I believe, that there is the basic capacity in all humans for evil, a capacity to hurt and kill descending from the days where it was necessary for humans to hunt and kill in order to survive, yet I believe that the capacity for evil is not as extreme as Golding portrays in his novel. For Golding implies that, without the presence of civilisation, humans would act in a way that they would have been required to behave in order to survive, and degenerate until they are no more than animals, or beasts. By this he implies that, led by their desires and needs, and absolved of responsibility, the natural instinct for humans is to behave in an evil manner. I disagree that humans are evil, because otherwise how could civilisation have developed in the first place? If everybody acted in an evil way, then this behaviour would have been considered acceptable, and â€Å"normal† and nobody would feel the need to say what was right and what was wrong, because everybody would behave in the same manner. If this was the case, actions such as murder would be accepted as any other essential impulse would be such as eating or sleeping, however, this is not the case, because society has taught us that these things are wrong. This shows that there is an even larger capacity in human nature for good and decency, which overcomes the capacity for evil and enables humans to form a civilisation. So human nature is not basically evil, despite people that do evil things, when absolved of responsibility, people do what they feel is necessary at any given moment, which may be an evil deed, such as those seen by Golding in the war. This does not mean, however, that these people are evil, merely that they are doing what they feel is necessary at that given time, in their case, to save their country. Of course it is undeniable that there are people who do murder, without justification, and people who do commit evil deeds without necessity, but it must be remembered that these are part of a vast minority, and this is not present in the basic human nature, which has a far greater capacity for good than evil.

Ernest Hemingway Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ernest Hemingway Research Paper - Essay Example Early Life Ernest Hemingway was born in Illinois on July 21, 1899. His mother’s musical interests did not influence him as much as his father’s love for the outdoors. This spirit of adventure would later be visible in his writings (Boon 9). In high school, he edited the school newspaper Kansas City Star. He participated in the World War I for the American Red Cross as a bus driver and was injured in 1918 after an attack. After the World War I, he returned to the United States of America and met Sherwood Anderson, and in 1921 he married Hadley Richardson. A short time later he moved to Paris, France, as a correspondent of the Star. Their stay in Paris coincided with the publication of Three Stories and Ten. Hemingway wrote the drafts In our Time in 1923 and later published it in 1924. In mid-1923, the family returned to Toronto where he rejoined the Star, but he went back to Paris in 1924. In Paris, he met Gertrude Stein, and this ushered him to the world of artists and authors of the ‘lost generation’, giving an inspiration to the novel The Sun Also Rises (Bloom 11). Literary Career Death in the Afternoon The novel starts with Hemingway talking about his love for bull fighting after being introduced to the sport by Gertrude Stein. He is initially skeptical about bull fighting, as he assumes that it would cause the death of horses. This novel is a nonfiction account of Hemingway’s observation of bull fighting in Spain from the 1920’s to the 1930’s. The book gives a vivid explanation of bullfighting in Spain and his life. â€Å"The bull fight is not a sport in the Anglo Saxon sense word that is it is not an equal contest or an attempt at an equal contest between a bull and a man. Rather it is a tragedy the death of the bull which is played, more or less well, by the bull and the man involved in which there is a danger for the man but certain death for the animal† (Hemingway, â€Å"Death in the Afternoon† 22). The Old Man and the Sea This story is set in Cuba where Santiago, a fisherman, sets out to fish but fails to catch anything. His young apprentice, Manolin, is convinced by his parents to leave Santiago and go fishing in another area. Nevertheless, Manolin continues to help Santiago. Later on Santiago goes further away from his usual fishing waters, releases his fishing gear deep into the sea, hooks into a marlin, and the fish pulls his fishing boat. The fishing experience goes wrong, and he endures a lot of pain while holding the fishing equipment. Blood appears in the waters, attracting sharks; he kills them but they eat the marlin; nevertheless, he takes the skeletons to his ramshackle. The following day fellow fishermen gather around his boat in amazement and Manolin is excited upon seeing Santiago safe in bed. The story depicts bravery of Santiago, who ventures out into the sea despite having caught no fish in eighty four days. Despite the difficulties Santiago endures a nd conquers, the victory of sea and sharks is the ultimate point in the story. Our Time This is a collection of fifteen short stories. In the first part, Nick Adams is brought into an Indian Camp by his father, and a woman gives birth there. Later, Nick’s father argues with an Indian. Nick Adam’s love life follows that of Nick, and his friend Bill drinks at Bill’s house. In chapter five, Nick is thrown off a train and meets an old friend of his. Thereafter, a soldier falls in love

Using SAP in Electronic Government Research Paper

Using SAP in Electronic Government - Research Paper Example and Europe and will address the various challenges at "The Impact of E-Government in Europe" conference next month in Helsinki, said Ian Swann, vice president of SAP's public sector unit. Last year, SAP joined a program headed by the Center for Technology in Government at Albany State University in New York to help address the challenge of calculating return on investment for public sector IT initiatives. The center has conducted five case studies of organizations that have sought to assess the impact of the IT investments and has drafted a document offering a methodology for measuring ROI. Swann will present the findings of the five case studies and the ROI white paper. SAP is also participating in the European Union's E-Government Action Plan, aimed at helping Europe's sprawling public sector improve the efficiency of its internal operations and external services to citizens. The company is a contributor to the E.U.-funded Picture Project, a Web-based system that lets government officials measure the impact of information and communication technologies on organizational processes, enabling informed choices for long-term technology investments. While pointing to SAP's software expertise in areas such as accounting, human resources and logistics, Swann acknowledged an eagerness on the part of many governments, such as Germany and France, to create applications on "open architectures.†... ing, human resources and logistics, Swann acknowledged an eagerness on the part of many governments, such as Germany and France, to create applications on "open architectures.† Public-sector organizations will use "open source where it is appropriate and where it works," Swann said. But Swann was quick to use the word "open" in the context of SAP's new service-oriented architecture platform. The platform, he said, "opens up the delivery of services" and opportunities to work with independent software vendors. "All of this is about building more agile applications and creating more value out of existing investments," he said. Currently, sales to the public sector account for roughly 10 percent of SAP's total revenue and are growing, according to Swann. But selling to governments, which "are and will remain under severe financial constraints," will continue to be a challenge, he said: â€Å"That’s why we have to deliver value to what they're doing." E- Government complian ce We've seen the news reports with carloads of FBI agents, windbreakers and all, rushing into a business to seize paper records and servers. The evidence is analyzed later to prove a crime using computer forensics. However, the more likely use of computer forensics will be requirements around lawsuits: accounting records, emails, transaction data, and so on, all used to tell a story that will benefit either the plaintiff or the defense. The problem comes when we move data to the public clouds. How do we deal with legal issues, such as lawsuits and law enforcement? For the most part, organizations moving to the cloud have not even considered this issue. Indeed, according to Network World, "Any business that anticipates using cloud-based services should be asking the question: What can my cloud provider

Look at a contemporary film and examine how it uses traditional Essay

Look at a contemporary film and examine how it uses traditional narrative structure to create and naturalize a certain myth - Essay Example Traditional narratives were passed from one generation to another through word of mouth that is orally. On the other hand, contemporary films are the modern films that are used to deliver given information on the receipt through televisions and DVD’s . Contemporary films include the multinational corporations film producers for instance Hollywood. With this, the essay examines how pulp fiction a postmodernist film uses linear traditional narrative structure to create and naturalize a certain myth. Traditional narrative structure consists of parts of a story and the order in which the reader unfolds the events in the story. As earlier stated the structure of the story consists of three parts, which clearly bring out the narrative. The structure of a traditional narrative depends on the genre of the story (Klapproth, 2004). For instance, in the digital narrative that is the contemporary film, the writer may decide to bring out a dramatic flashback first in the story before bring ing out the initial events of the story. Contemporary films incorporate traditional narratives and improve the disposal of their stories. ... The second part of the story, which is epitasis, sets things into motion it is also referred to as the catalyst stage because at this stage the agenda is revealed to the readers. In this story, the major characters undergo major changes as a result of what is happening in the story this is referred to as character development (Maan, 2010). The third stage is the resolution stage, in this stage the characters in the story confront the problem and coming together hence leading to the end of the story. Research shows that, there are two main types of traditional narrative structures, which defines a story. The two types of structures include linear and non-linear narrative structures. In non-linear structure, the story does not precede in a straight line or systematically for instance introducing flashback in the beginning of a story (Maan, 2010). On the other hand, linear narratives are sequential that means they run smoothly. In linear narrative, the story starts and ends with a contr ast hence bringing out the message to be passed to the receipt. In most cases, traditional narratives are organized in a chronological order. Recent research shows that, linear narratives consist of four sequences manipulation, competence, performance, and sanction. In the first stage manipulation, the contrast is established (Klapproth, 2004). With this information on the traditional narrative structure the essay analyses how pulp fiction film uses non-linear type narrative to break up chronological time and demonstrate traditional realms of art. In this film the writer shows how cultural and art is important in any given community. In this film, semiotic codes are used to show traditional narrative structures are used to naturalize a

Conformity and obedience Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conformity and obedience - Research Paper Example To the contrary those who rebelled or disobeyed probably got eaten by a tiger or fell off a cliff in the primitive settings of our species’ development. (Kassin, et.al, 2007) Hence, obedience to significant others has a definite value. In other words, â€Å"child socialization values, the values that parents hold in high regard and try to impart to their children, occupy a central place in the studies of the family and social stratification. Socialization values not only condition parental behavior in childrearing practices, they also help shape children's value systems and behavior, which affect their life chances and pathways to success.† (Xiao, 1999, p.641) Conformity has its value too, in terms of its social utility. In order for societies to maintain cohesion and harmony, a certain degree of shared virtues, behaviour and values are to be upheld by all members of the society. Otherwise, discord and disharmony are likely to ensue. As the famous adage ‘When in R ome, be a Roman’ hints, conformity holds great survival value for any individual anywhere in the world. But it must be remembered that our country is founded on principles of individual freedom and rights and the concept of ‘individualism’ is cherished and held dear by most of the citizens. Hence there are equally powerful and legitimate countervailing tendencies in the form of conformity and individualism. As author Wilfred McClay notes succinctly in his journal article for The Virginia Quarterly Review, â€Å"As the example of Huck Finn suggests, American thought and expression have always been rich with figures of heroic individuality-and correspondingly poor in convincing and binding representations of community or social obligation. Whether one considers our accounts of the great colonial religious controversies, such as those involving rebels Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, or the moral fables embedded in our popular culture, such as that offered in th e movies One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Dead Poets' Society, and Fiddler on the Roof, we seem to have a boundless appetite for fables of personal liberation. We are almost invariably asked to side with the put-upon individual, cast as an unjustly thwarted soul yearning to breathe free, and we are instructed to hiss at the figures of social or political authority, the John Winthrops and Nurse Ratcheds of life, whose efforts to sustain order establish them instead as monsters and enemies of humanity.† (McClay, 2001, p.392) One particular illustration of a call for individualism is seen in the movie Dead Poets Society. In this Robin Williams starrer, topics of conformity and obedience are explored cinematically. Williams, who moves into a vacant English professor position in a up-scale prep school (Welton Academy in Vermont), finds his students tough to deal with in the beginning. The students are prone to make trouble both inside and outside the classroom. Williams takes u pon himself to channel their energies into more creative activities and subjects of poetry and literature serve as inspirational tool, with which he wins over the minds and hearts of the pupils. The students start behaving much better as a result and in the process engage in the learning and enjoy the classroom experience. With stimulated minds and liberated thoughts, the students are confounded and conflicted by the emergent and the established. Despite

Arguments against and for Reframing Labor Rights as Human Rights Assignment

Arguments against and for Reframing Labor Rights as Human Rights - Assignment Example The labor law on the other hand argues that although the Act may be helpful in filtering and filling some gaps in the framework of legal protection at the workplace, the general effect is quite limited. This is due to the narrow range of employment-related issues to which convention rights apply. In addition, the Act provides limited opportunities for direct and indirect enforcement of employees who claim to be victims of a breach by their employers (Bakan, 1997). The effect of the duty on courts to interpret legislation in a manner which gives effect to convention rights is likely to disappear through the narrow interpretation of the respective rights by the Strasbourg authorities and the equivocal nature f the rights themselves. Incorporation is not a substitute for carefully tailored legislation as it raises questions about the obligations under the international treaties in the social field like the Council of Europe’s Social Charter. The first argument for reframing labor rights as human rights is that human rights approach facilitates partnerships with human rights friends. In addition, the system works well with the inexorable internationalization of labor struggles, it allows the naming, blaming and shaming of labor abusers and it is more responsive to the current political and cultural zeitgeist as compared to the traditional labor arguments (Savage, 2009). A human rights reframing is likely to bring about authoritativeness to labor discourse that will never be achieved by trade unionists (Adams, 2008). The historical curve of labor organizations keeps on changing toward wage compression, equal pay for work of equal value as well as equal benefits bringing up the bottom at a faster pace than advancing the top. Some unions that had gone to two-tier contracts succeeded in reversing them when possible.  Ã‚  

Writing 102 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Writing 102 - Essay Example Red even comes to believe in Andy’s innocence. In the initial days of his prison life, Andy has difficulties adjusting. Most of the prisoners think of him as a snob. As a result, he undergoes many tribulations including rape from a prison gang that refers to themselves as the sisters. Red is the prison smuggler from whom you can get anything you need from the outside. After a while in prison, Andy begins to work for the guards, filling their tax returns (King 56). This makes him a hero in the prison community. He also helps to set up a prison library. In the process of working for them, he begins to launder money for them, reducing his chances of getting out of prison. Andy admits to Red that he had friend set up a false identity through which he now has a lot of money. He dreams of an escape from prison and he dreams of Red going with him to Mexico. One day he manages to escape and his escape signifies hope for the other prisoners. Eventually, Red gets out of jail and finds the rock that Andy had described to him, underneath which the keys to the bank’s safety deposit box were to be. He instead find a letter inviting him to join Andy in Mexico and a $100 0 gift. Red feels a sense of renewed hope as he plans to join Andy in Mexico. The movie ‘Shawshank Redemption’ is based on Stephen King’s book. It was adapted screen directed by Frank Darabont. Just like the book, the movie takes one through the journey of despair that inmates can go through, and the importance of having hope and a strong spirit. Unlike the book however, the movies uses film language to bring forth its theme of despair and hope. Film language includes lighting effects, music, and different camera angles (The Shawshank Redemption, Dir Frank Darabont). In the movie, most scenes do not have background music to represent the lack of life that is characteristic of life in prison. There is only one scene that has music when Andy

UNIT 4 INDIVIDUAL PROJECT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

UNIT 4 INDIVIDUAL PROJECT - Essay Example The company needs to target an unserved but profitable segment of the market to increase sales and boost image minus the fierce competition. Distribution channels. The company depends largely on department stores to sell its products. Reebok should explore other channels that would effectively promote the increased visibility of its products in the market. Intellectual property rights. The company produces its products through independent manufacturers in third world countries. Despite the enforcement of patent laws, knockoffs proliferate in many international markets which have an adverse affect on Reebok’s revenues. Our passion for winning creates our possibilities. We harness the boundless creative energy of every individual to make the differences that count - to captivate the consumer and create an exceptional global brand and organization. a. [Pros] Reduced production costs and lead time, increased gross margins in the long run and creates new sources of raw materials for footware product lines as well as develop more efficient distribution channels. a. [Pros] Reebok needs to stick to more conservative demand forecasts to effectively control marketing, advertising and other related expenses; minimize production problems, cut costs and generate adequate cash flow for debt servicing. 1. Recommending the implementation of the Market Development Strategy [Alternative 1] to increase brand value and gain a bigger market share, if not a controlling interest in the athletic shoes and sports apparel market. 5. Product lines intended for outdoor activities should also be developed apart from contact sports, with 40% of the subject segment looking for new outdoor activities, among them backpacking/hiking (47%), road biking (38%), camping (30%) and paddle sports (23%). (NPD Group, as cited in Rab, 2004) 1. Revamp of existing marketing platforms and repositioning to new segment must be

Capital Punishment in the United States Essay Example for Free

Capital Punishment in the United States Essay Have you ever thought about if the person sitting next to you is a murderer? If he is, what would you want from the government if he had killed someone you know? He should receive the death penalty! Murderers and other major offenders should be punished for the crimes they have committed and should pay the price for what they have done. Having the death penalty in our society is humane. It helps with overcrowding and gives relief to the families of the victims, who had to go through an event such as murder. You may not see it as that big of a deal, but the families of the victims of these criminals have to live every day knowing that while their family member is dead, this criminal is still well and living. Usually people just want to look past this problem because they are not in the position of the families of the murder victims, but you need to look at it through the eyes of these families. Until we stop just letting these things slide, they will continue to happen. The death penalty has been around since the time of Jesus Christ. Executions have been recorded from the 1600s to present times. From about 1620, the executions by year increased in the US. It has been a steady increase up until the 1930s; later the death penalty dropped to zero in the 1970s and then again rose steadily. US citizens said that the death penalty was unconstitutional because it was believed that it was cruel and unusual punishment (Amnesty International). In the 1970s, the executions by year dropped between zero and one then started to rise again in the 1980s. In the year 2000, there were nearly one hundred executions in the US. On June 29, 1972, the death penalty was suspended because the existing laws were no longer convincing. However, four years after this occurred, several cases came about in Georgia, Florida, and Texas where lawyers wanted the death penalty. This set new laws in these states and later the Supreme Court decided that the death penalty was constitutional under the Eighth Amendment. There also has been the problem of overcrowding in prisons and jails. Some people say that this is a problem but having more jails built will solve this problem. Having more prisons or jails built may help solve the problem but the death penalty effectively stops draining more money from the taxpayers to give these murderers a home. These murderers get three warm meals a day; they do nothing all day, and have a place to sleep just because the taxpayers fund these facilities. Murderers on death row do not deserve to get a place to stay. They deserve to have their lives taken for the crimes that they have committed.

History Of The Millat Tractors Limited

History Of The Millat Tractors Limited This whole report starts with the brief introduction of the Millat Tractors Limited. The introduction consists of company background, products, objectives, mission and vision statement and dealer network. After this the report contain a complete financial analysis of the firm and its comparison with its main competitor i.e. Al-ghazi tractors, these ratios cover all the ratios which include the liquidity, leverage, profitability ratio, activity and other ratios. After this in the end the report contain the literature and article review from different authors and websites. Contents Company Review Introduction The millat tractors limited was established in 1964. At that time the main goal of this company was to introduce and market Massey Ferguson Tractors in Pakistan. In 1967, an assembly plant was set up to assemble tractors in semi-knocked down condition. In 1972 the company was nationalized and started assembling and marketing tractors on the behalf of Pakistan tractor Corporation (PTC), formed by the government of Pakistan to import the tractors in semi-knocked down condition. Later in 1980 the government decided to manufacture the tractor in Pakistan, so they put this responsibility on Pakistan Tractor Corporation (PTC). PTC transferred this role to Millat tractors in 1981. It took only one year for millat tractors limited (MTL) to manufacture their own tractors, by setting up the first engine assembly plant in Pakistan. In 1984, the MTL set up a manufacturing facilities for the machining of intricate components, which were not available in Pakistan. In 1992, MTL was privatized throu gh management buyout (wikipedia). Mission Statement Millat to be market leader in agricultural tractors and machinery, building Companys image through innovation and competitiveness, grow by expanding market and investing into group companies, ensuring satisfaction to customers and stakeholders and to fulfil social obligations (Millat Tractors). Vision Statement Millat to be a global group of companies, recognized for a range of quality products with innovative design capabilities (Millat Tractors). Business Core Values Our customers are our first priority Prosperity of our stakeholders Corporate social responsibilities to enrich the lives of the community where we operate Recognition and reward for the talented and high performing employees Excellence Integrity in dealing (Millat Tractors). Objectives and Strategic Planning Objectives The main objective of the millat tractors in to be a market leader as far as market share and technology is concerned, in the areas of operations. The objective is also to continuously improve the efficiency and competitive strength and to offer the customer the quality products and support services at competitive prices and to their satisfaction. To generate sufficient earnings to ensure a secure future for the company and to protect and increase the shareholders return through continuously improving the performance. Moreover the objective is also to enhance the creativity and job satisfaction of the employees by providing opportunities for the personal development. To play a vital role for the society and environment (Millat Tractors). Strategic planning To make optimum use of ancillary industry in Pakistan to maximize indigenization of tract parts and farm equipment. To create in-house plant facilities for manufacture of components for tractors and other agricultural machinery which cannot be fabricated by the ancillary industry, where investments required are heavy or where technology involved is intricate. MTL will maintain a strong RD Department to provide technical assistance to local manufactures and for product development. Ensure customer satisfaction by providing quality products at competitive prices with warranty coverage and ensuring after sales service (Millat Tractors). Products MTL has a huge variety of products which includes tractors for the farmers that range from 50 HP to 85 HP, to fulfil the needs of the farmers for agriculture purpose. These tractors can be purchased not only against cash but also through bank financing. Besides Tractors MTL also offer industrial products like generators, that range from 15 KVA to 40 KVA, forklift trucks and prime movers, that range from 50 HP to 85 HP. MTL also deals in range of generating sets from 27 kVA to 2000 KVA (Millat Tractors). Other than above mentioned products MTL also offers a wide range of agricultural implements like chisel, Disc and mould board plough, tine tillers, offset disc harrow, ridger, front blade, multi-purpose rear blade, agriculture loader, farm trailer, hydraulic tipping trailer, jib crane, post hole digger, lawn mover, and pneumatic pruning sets. MTL also provide a wide range of spare parts throughout the country (Millat Tractors). Dealers MTL has dealers throughout the country to make sure the availability of the tractors. MTL divided the whole country into six regions that are KPK, Northern Punjab, South Punjab, Upper Punjab, Lower Punjab and Balochistan (Millat Tractors). Competitor Analysis The main competitor of Millat Tractor is Al-ghazi tractors, besides Al-ghazi there are few private tractor manufacturers and Chinese tractors that multiply the competition. Below is the financial analysis of both millat tractors limited and Al-ghazi tractors. On the basis of these financial ratios we can compare the performance of both the firms. For Financial statements see the appendix. As far as the production and sales of MTL units are concerned a graph from their websites are given below. http://millat.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/image/chart3.JPG Source: http://millat.com.pk/?page_id=408 Financial Ratios Liquidity Ratios Current Ratio Although the current ratio of both the firms are greater than 1, but the current ratio of Al-ghazi tractors is higher than 3 which shows that the company is inefficient to utilize its current assets to pay off the current liabilities. On the other hand the current ratio of MTL is greater than 1 but less than 3 which shows that company is efficiently utilizing its current assets to settle the current liabilities. So on the basis of the current ratio we can say that Millat tractor limited is working more efficiently with their assets as compare to Al-ghazi, which has huge current ratio thats shows the inefficiency in case of utilizing the assets. Quick Ratio Quick Ratio shows the companys ability to use the cash and cash equivalents to settle the current liabilities, this excludes the inventory. The ratio of both the companies shows that millat tractor is more efficient as compare to Al-ghazi. Moreover the ratio is also close to the current ratio which shows that inventory is well managed by the millat tractors. Although the ratio of Al-Ghazi is much higher than the millat tractors, but the ratio higher than 3 is not a good sign. This shows that Al-Ghazi tractors are unable to utilize the cash and cash equivalents to settle the current liabilities due which their ratio is higher than that of Millat tractors. Inventory to net working capital This ratio tells us the extent to which the working capital is tied up in the inventory, although it is less than 1 for both the firms. But in case of millat tractors it is higher than al-Ghazi which is not a good sign as it shows that lots of working capital is tied up in inventory as compare to that of Al-Ghazi Tractors. During the last year however the ratio has decreased in case of MTL and increased in case of Al-ghazi tractors but Al-Ghazi Ratio is still lower as compared to MTL. One of the main reason is the higher inventory since last three years of Millat tractors. One thing to be kept in mind is that these inventories mostly consist of spare parts and agriculture implements. Profitability Ratios Gross profit Margin Although the gross profit margin of millat tractors are lower as compare to Al-ghazi tractors yet they are earning much on sale as compare to Al-Ghazi. In the year of 2011 Millat tractors report the sale revenue of 24863264 as compare to 14936034 but the reason is the high cost of goods sold. The main reason for the increase in the COGS is the components consumed, which is continuously increasing since last four years. According the millat tractors dealers and the website information the millat tractors is continuously increasing its production and achieved the target of 40000 tractors in the year of 2011, which obviously resulted in the increase in the components consumed. Besides components repair and maintenances and spare parts consumed also resulted in the increase of COGS, most of them were covered under the warranty claims. On the other hand in case of Al-ghazi tractors, Components consumed were highest in the year of 2010 and in 2011 the components consumed has decreased beca use of decrease in production, which also resulted in the decrease of other things like salaries, spare parts consumed and supplies. Due to this reason Millat tractors, that produced 40000 units as compare to Al-ghazi tractors that produces 19936 units in the year 2011, has to face lower gross profit margin as compare to the alghazi tractors. Otherwise as far as sales revenue is concerned, it is much much higher in case of MTL as compare to Al-Ghazi Tractors. Operating Profit Margin From the year 2008 till 2010, alghazi tractors has higher operating profit margin because of high sales as compare to COGS and low expenses but in the year 2011 Millat tractors beat the Al-ghazi tractors because of increase in production and sales and lower expenses with respect to the sales. Secondly the revenue from the sales against all the expenses are higher for MTL in the year 2011 as compare to the previous year. In the year 2011, alghazi tractors lower their production due to which their revenues also decreased. So the operating profit margin which indicates firms profitability from the current operations excluding interest and tax, is higher for MTL as compare to Al-ghazi tractors. Net Profit Margin Although the sales revenue of Millat Tractors are much higher than the alghazi tractors but they have to face high financing cost and taxation. In the year 2011 MTL also has to face a huge deferred taxation from the previous years along with the increase in the finance cost which is the result of increase in loans, accumulating compensated absences and trade and other payables. Trade and other payables were highest in the year of 2010 but decrease in 2011 due to which finance cost also showed some decreasing growth rate. On the other hand Alghazi tractors that produces much smaller number of tractors as compare to the millat tractors has to face low finance cost and taxation due to which the ratio is higher. Return on Total Assets This ratio calculates the companys earning or profit against the total net assets, the higher the ratio the better it is as it shows that the company is earning more profits as compare to their assets. Initially MTL has to face lower ratio when compare to Al-ghazi because of high growth in net assets and lower growth of profit but in the 2011, when MTL achieved the record production of more than 40000 tractors the ratio increased much higher than Alghazi, which faced an increase in total assets with the decrease in net profits. In 2011, MTL has to face a decrease in total assets with the increase in net profit, which shows that the company efficiently used its assets to generate the profits. So it is not wrong to say that the MTL is much more profitable as compare to Al-Ghazi. Earnings Per Share This ratio shows the earnings available to the owners of the common stock and if you see the ratios then it is clear that MTL has a high earning per share which shows that the investors of MTL enjoying the higher profit against their investments as compare to that of Al-ghazi Tractors. So this also shows that MTL is highly profitable as compare to Al-ghazi Tractors. Return on Stock Holders Equity This shows the rate of return on the stock holders investment. The ratio clearly shows a huge difference between the two companies. In case of millat tractors, the after tax profits are increasing against the decreasing profits of Al-ghazi. This shows that investors are enjoying high profits against their investment in case of MTL as compare to that of Al-ghazi profit, which is facing decreasing after sales profits. Leverage Ratios Debt to Assets Ratio High Debt to assets ratio shows that the company depends more on the debt financing, which ultimately increase the risk. Millat tractors shows increasing debt ratio until 2010 but it decreases in 2011. This shows that the company is more dependent on the debt financing rather than its own assets which made this company risky. Increasing EPS and stockholders equity also shows this as they are enjoying higher return which is the proof that the company is risky as higher the risk, higher will be the return. On the other hand Al-ghazis debt ratio is lower than the MTL, though they are also taking debt to finance their operation but the ratio against the total assets is low which shows that the company is less risk and depending mostly on its own assets as compare to that of MTL, this also results in the lower return. In the year 2011, MTL has dropped in liabilities significantly from the last two year but it also followed by the decrease in the total assets from the last two years. In th is case we can say that Al-ghazi is better than the MTL. Debt to Equity Ratio Just like the Debt to asset ratio, Debt to equity ratio of MTL is also high which shows that MTL also depending on Debt financing more than the equity. This ratio suggest that MTL is depending more on the debt financing as compare to equity financing, this makes MTL more risky. On the other hand Al-ghazi tractors has the lower debt to equity ratio, which makes this company less riskier as they depend on the equity financing more than their debt financing as compare to the MTL. In 2011, the debt to asset ratio as well as debt to equity ratio both shows downward trend in case of MTL, which is because of the huge decrease in the total debt of the company which is almost equal to more that 40 million rupees, due to this there is the decrease in the ratio in the year 2011. Long-term Debt to Equity Ratio This ratio also show the financing condition of the firm. Higher ratio means that the company is more depending on the long term debt as compare to the equity. High ratio shows the high risk for the firm. In this case Al-ghazi has the higher ratio which shows that Al-ghazi is more dependent on the long term debt as compare to the equity. MTL dependent on the short term financing but in case of al-ghazi they are more dependent on the long term financing due to which their ratio is higher than MTL. This shows that as far as long term debt to equity ratio is concerned Al-ghazi is much riskier than the MTL. Time interest Earned This ratio is lower for the MTL as compare to al-ghazi. This shows that Al-ghazi is better in this case. Activity Ratio Inventory Turnover Inventory turnover of MTL is much greater than Al-ghazi Tractors which shows that the company is efficient with the inventory and could be able to convert its inventory into sales. Though in the previous year that is from 2008 to 2010 MTL is behind Al-ghazi but in the year 2011, MTL is able to convert its inventory into sales more efficiently and effectively Fixed Assets Turnover Fixed assets turnover of Al-ghazi is decreasing since the last two year but on the other hand it is continuously increasing in case of MTL which shows that the company is more efficiently utilizes its fixed assets to make the sales. Other reason is that MTL non-current assets shows little or negative growth rate with the increasing sales but in case of Al-ghazi sales revenues are decreasing with the increasing fixed or non-current assets. Total Asset turnover Just like the fixed assets turnover ratio, total assets turnover ratio of MTL is also increasing which shows that the company is efficiently utilizing its assets to generate the sales as compare to that of Al-ghazi Tractors. Other Ratios Dividend Yield Except the year 2011, in which MTL retained most of the earnings, in all the previous years MTL pays higher dividends as compare to the al-ghazi tractors whose dividend fluctuate through out the year. This shows that the investors of MTL received higher dividend as compare to Al-ghazi tractors. Price Earnings Ratio MTL PE ratio is increasing which shows that it is faster growing and less risky in the sense that they fulfil all the risky through the return. On the other hand Al-ghazi shows decreasing trend which shows that they are risky, except it is proved above that MTL is highly risky as compare to Al-ghazi but MTL cover the risk through the return as compare to Al-ghazi so it could not be wrong to say that MTL is faster growing and more profitable as compare to Alghazi tractors. Dividend Payout Ratio MTL Dividend payout ratio is increasing which shows that they are not retaining earning and paying more dividends in cash rather than retaining them. Other the other hand Al-ghazi is retaining more than MTL and not paying much dividend as cash. Other Competitors Other than these two public listed companies there is a private company with the name of Fecto Belarus Tractors which is basically a private Russian company and has been working since 1962. This company has also participated in many government schemes like Green tractor and Awami Tractor schemes. But this company is very small and not so much appreciated by the farmers. According to the information given on their website they have produced only 4000 tractors in the year 2010 and 2011 (Fecto Belarus). Other than this there are few Chinese imported tractors but as per government rules there are very high barrier to the international tractors to support the local market. But if the Government could not able to address the problems the company is facing right now then these low price and low quality Chinese tractors will find their way into Pakistan, which will result in the major threat to the local industry. Literature Review Article Two main tractor manufacturing units Al-Ghazi Tractors and Millat Tractors have suspended their production after plummeting of their sales as levy of 16 percent GST has made the farm machinery costlier and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited has stopped tractor loans to the cash starved farmers for the past two years. Millat Tractors Limited and Al-Ghazi Tractors Limited account for virtually all of industrys yearly output of more than 72,000 tractors. A senior executive of Millat Tractors told Business Recorder here on Friday that tractor sales nosed down to 12,000 from July to December 2011 as against 30,000 tractors during corresponding period of last year. The industry sold 70,770 tractors from July 2010 to June 2011, he added. He said tractor manufacturers have suspended procurement of parts from their vendors as there are already several thousand unsold tractors dumped at their plants and countrywide dealership network. Tractor prices surged by Rs100,000 to Rs. 200,000 a piece depending on engine horse power after imposition of 16 per cent GST in March last year plunging the industry in turmoil and endangering investment of billions of rupees, he added. He said since ZTBL had suspended credit to farmers for purchase of tractors for two years and high interest rate of commercial banks loans, tractors are being purchased only by those limited number of affluent growers who pay net cash. He lamented that prices of cotton have suddenly fallen to a new low, farmers are not getting payment of sugarcane produce in cash, on the contrary, prices of fertilisers and other agri-outputs have skyrocketed, therefore the cash deficit small farmers have no money to purchase tractors. The executive suggested that the Punjab government should provide tractors to the unemployed people instead of taxis as a tractor is economically more useful and employment generator than a car/taxi Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers Manufacturing held an emergent meeting here on Friday to review the socio-economic impact of tractor manufacturing units closure in the short and long run as they have stopped buying parts of tractors from the vendors spread all over the country. Talking to this scribe PAAPAM chairman Nabeel Hashmi said that thousands of auto parts manufacturing units which provide 92 percent parts to the tractor industry are laying off their 0.5 million workers after closure of tractor manufacturing units. He said imposition of 16 percent General Sales Tax has not only ruined the tractor manufacturing industry but has also had fatal repercussions on the agri economy and engineering and vending industry. Hashmi pointed out that due to decline in tractor sales, the government is not getting any additional revenue, therefore it should immediately withdraw this tax to make cost of tractors affordable for overwhelming majority of small farmers who own less then 12 acres land.PAAPAM chairman warned that as tractors are of prime importance to the agricultural sector itself, the agriculture and rural economy would grossly suffer with dangerous consequences if the government did not take immediate remedial measures (Goraya, 2011). Explanation In this article Mr. Goraya told about the effects of general sales tax on the sales of the tractors. According to him the increase sales tax reduces the sales of the tractors in the country. Moreover the Zarai Tarakiyati bank was is responsible to give the loans to the farmers for the purchase of the tractors along with the other agricultural tools also stopped giving loans to the farmers due to which only those farmers who could afford the purchase of the tractors on the full cash basis could buy the tractors. This had the very adverse effects on the tractors industries as because of this the inventories which are unsold increased and many units goes unsold. Due to the increase in the taxes and the non availability of the loans the amount of the unsold tractors increased from 12000 units to 30000 units. Moreover because of the GST the prices of the tractors increases by 200000 rupees because of which farmers who were dependent on the loans, are now unable to purchase the tractors du e to which the sales goes down, with the decrease in production. According to the sales person of millat tractors limited the production of millat tractors decreased from 40000 to 32000 units because of the last year unsold inventory. Moreover in the article it is suggested that except giving the yellow cabs schemes, government should provide tractors to increase the employment and to save the industry the government should reduce the taxes so that this automobile industry could move forward with any threat. Article The last few years have been great if you were a tractor manufacturer. The industry has grown by a CAGR of more than nine per cent annually over the last five years with the exception of FY08 when it registered negative growth. This is on the back of a supply deficit whereby the demand for tractors and agricultural implements (taken on a cumulative basis when we talk about tractors) has been racing despite the hullabaloo of structural weaknesses in economy. This is because the local tractor industry is a derivative of the agricultural sector which forms the backbone of our economy and is the leading source of employment for our labor force. Therefore, as the population grows, which it will regardless of the era in question; demand for agricultural produce will grow, resulting in continuous demand for tractors in Pakistan. The linkage between tractors and the agriculture sector is therefore clear for all to see. Previously, industry growth was thought to be relatively immune from decelerating trends in agriculture; a view which was given life by observing FY09 and FY10 when the industry grew 13 per cent and 14 per cent respectively despite downturn in the agronomy with in-turn depressed growth rates (four per cent and two per cent respectively). Any good analyst would surely decipher that this is not a concrete relationship as sooner or later any business/industry will be affected by the economic environment it operates within. And it now has. The imposition of 17 per cent sales tax in March 2011, coupled with declining agro product prices which dented farmer income, will start taking its toll on the industry and its participants. The recent notice sent to the KSE by one tractor manufacturer (Al-Ghazi tractors) substantiates this view: Following the imposition of 17 per cent sales tax in March 2011 tractor bookings started fallingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Impact of 16 per cent sales tax on tractors, announced in the Financial Bill of the year 2011-2012, continues to jeopardise the companys sales. This has been spoiled further by the fall in cotton prices There are two main players in the tractor manufacturing industry, namely Millat Tractors Limited (MTL) and Al-Ghazi Tractors Limited (AGTL), which account for virtually all of industry output. Of these, MTL, with its popular brand Massey Ferguson, holds 61 per cent market share in terms of total tractor sales and has experienced significant growth in the turnover since FY07. The company has developed a track of breaking records by achieving an off-take of 30,244 in FY09 and then surpassing it in the subsequent year to 40,836 tractors. As per the official statistics released by the Pakistan Automobile Manufacturers Association (PAMA) the company has achieved sales of over 42,000 tractors in FY11 while the total tractor industry stood at 70,000 tractors sold during the year. Advanced bookings a measure often used to gauge demand increased by 81 per cent during FY10: 40,836 tractors pre-booked in FY09 to 74,000 tractors pre-booked during FY10. This figure is expected to drop as substa ntiated by the press release given above. Talking about the tractor industry as a whole, forming a holistic view of the key demand drivers of the tractor industry is imperative: KEY INDUSTRY DEMAND DRIVERS Government Incentives The Benazir Tractor Scheme aims to incentivise the purchase of 20,000 tractors by subsidising the tractor up to 50 per cent. The program aims to provide a subsidy up to Rs200,000 per farmer leading to more affordable tractors. Given the tight fiscal position of the GoP further extension/incentivisation in this program is unlikely. Therefore, we view this program lacking in its true essence on account of an absence of both ability and willingness on behalf of the government to encourage farmer development. Affordability A 17 per cent tax levied on tractor production in the Finance Bill announced in March was initially projected to raise tractor prices by 10-15 per cent. However, after accounting for the cumulative impact of the imposition in tractor inputs as well, final tractor prices have gone up by 20 per cent. This is a serious jolt to farmers for whom tractors have gone beyond the reach of affordability. Farmer Income Agricultural prices had shot up in the recent past. However, they have witnessed a sharp decline inline with fall in commodity prices globally. Pakistans agricultural produce has been the same; as an example, cotton prices have fallen to the 5,500 mark after seeing highs of over 13,000 per maund. This has impacted farmer income and therefore, they are less willing to spend upon tractors as they simply cannot afford to. Farmer Credit Squeezing of loans by the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), especially to farmers who own less than 12 acres of land, tractors are being purchased only by those who pay net cash. Given the fall in farmer income, the lack of credit in the market does not make a cash purchase viable for farmers. Indeed investment in such times is hardly the priority for farmers whose lifestyle limits him to focusing on only the necessities of life. Tractor Life According to FAO, ideal horsepower available per hectare should be 1.4, versus the current 0.9 in Pakistan. Increasing horse power utilisation would imply increasing the total number of tractors by more than 250,000 (55 per cent) highlighting the growth potential of the sector. Given the dearth in farmer awareness, a change in this trend seems unlikely. Competition High barriers to entry due to heavy capital outlay in establishing a distribution network reduce the threat of competition arising. Further, due to the high deletion levels (percentage of cost from locally manufactured inputs) soaring upto 90 per cent, Pakistani tractors trade at a significant discount to international counterparts, thereby making the import of tractors unfeasible and impractical. Given the above demand outlooks, future prospects of tractor manufacturers surely seem weak. But why should this be as alarming as it sounds? Tractor manufacturers have had it good over the past few years operating at near 100 per cent utilisation levels. They have built their asset bases and have enjoyed periods of strong profitability. Given that the two manufacturers have not been forced to engage in a price war and that both operate at nearly zero leveraging, the reserves built-up should be substantial in sustaining them through a down period. However, tractors are of prime importance to the agricultural sector itself, and while some rationalisation can be expected, a total fall from grace would have a far reaching impact on the agronomy in the longer run in terms of efficiency and growth (Khan). Explanation This article tells us that the tractor industry is the back bone for our economy. This industry was seeing the growth rate in the past but recently has to face many problems like GST, Inflation, expensive vendors. This articles also tell us that the MTL is the market leader with the 61 percent of market share as compare to its major competitor Al-ghazi, so it is in a strong position. This article also discussed different demand drivers. First of all the government support, although government is claiming to help the farmers by subsidizing the tractors through different schemes but still there is a lack of commitment and care of the government towards this industry. Secondly the affordability, with the increase in the GST, farmers are unable to afford such a expensive tractor, which was available for 15 lac two years back and now it is available for 20 lac rupees. Thirdly the farmer income, with the increase in population along with inflation it would be hard for the farmers to suppor t their families and with the increase in the price of the tractors farmers could not buy the tractors as they also have to afford my other lives. Forth the loans, with the increase in bad debts and non performing loans the only bank for the farmers i.e. Zarai Tarakiyati bank stopped giving loans and increased their interest rates so farmers are unable to get the loans for the purchase of the tractors, this also multiply the difficulties for the farmers. Lastly the competition, as there are high barriers of entry to international firm to enter into the Pakistan market no intern

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how the stock market crashed Essay -- essays research papers

Many factors played a role in bringing about the depression; however, the main cause for the Great Depression was the combination of the greatly unequal distribution of wealth, banking problem, industrial power houses and agricultural depression which ultimately lead to the infamous Stock Market Crash of 1929. The â€Å"roaring twenties† was an era when our country prospered greatly. The rapid increase in industrialization was fueling growth in the economy, and technology improvements had the leading economists living that the uprise would continue. During this boom period, wages increased along with consumer spending and stock prices began to rise as well. Billions of dollars were invested in the stock market as people began speculation on the rising stock prices and buying on margin.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On Thursday, October 24, 1929, the bottom began to fall out. Prices dropped continually as more and more investors tried to sell their holdings. By the end of the day, the New York Stock Exchange had lost four billion dollars, and it took the exchange clerks until five o’clock in the morning the next day to clear all the transactions (Hicks 9) Following Monday the realization of what had happened began to sink in, and a full-blown panic set in. Thousands of investors-- many of them ordinary working people, not serious â€Å"players -- were financially ruined. by the end of the year stock values had dropped by fifteen billion dollars (McElvaine 45).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of the banks which had speculated heavily with their deposits were wiped out by the falling prices, and these bank failures sparked run on the banking system. Each failed bank, factory, business, and investor contributed to the downward spiral that would drag the world into the Great Depression (Hicks 22).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the â€Å"roaring twenties† which is commonly known as the Jazz Age, their was an obvious attitude that was for living for the moment. â€Å"Americans in the Roaring Twenties turned inward, away form international issues and social concerns and toward greater individualism. The emphasis was on getting rich and enjoying new fads, new inventions and new ideas. (Hiebert 73). The traditional values of rural America were being challenged by the infamous Jazz Age, what symbolized what is shock... ...et into a speculative pyramid game, in which most of the money invested in the market wasn’t actually there.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The car industry was the force behind many other booming industries during this time. In 1928, their were over 21 million cars on the road that adds up to one car for every six Americans (Hicks 114). Steel, nickel, lead and other metal industries prospered with 15% of its products going to the automobile industry ( Hicks 114). Rubber, petroleum, textile and leather companies were effected greatly by the car industry too. The automotive industry effected construction as well. the car had been essential to the urbanization of the country , because so many other industries relied upon it. With this rapid urbanization came the need to build many more factories, homes, offices and stores. From 1919 to 1928 the construction industry grew from a mere 2.5 billion dollars to 5billion dollars (Hicks 115).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Radio industry also prospered during