Re-Thinking Big Box Stores Essay Example for Free

Re-Thinking Big Box Stores Essay Rethinking Big-Box Stores In her essay Big Box Stores Are Bad for Main Street, Betsy Taylor focuses not on the economic effects of large chain stores but on the effects these stores have on the soul of America. She argues that stores like Home Depot, Target, and Wal-Mart are bad for America because they draw people out of downtown shopping districts and cause them to focus exclusively on consumption. In contrast, she believes that small businesses are good for America because they provide personal attention, foster community Interaction, and make each city unique. But Taylors argument is ultimately unconvincing because It Is based on nostalgia† on Idealized mages of a quaint Maln Street†rather than on the roles that businesses play In consumers lives and communities. By Ignoring the more complex, economically driven relationships between large chain stores and their communities, Taylor Incorrectly assumes that simply getting rid of big-box stores would have a posltlve effect on Americas communities. Taylors use of colorful language reveals that she has a nostalgic view of American society and does not understand economic realities. In her first paragraph, Taylor refers to a big-box store as a 25-acre slab of concrete with a 100,000 square foot box of stuff that lands on a town, evoking images of a monolithic monster crushing the American way of life (1011). But her Sanchez 1 Opening summa- rizes the articles purpose and thesis. Thesis expresses Sanchezs judgment of Taylors article. Signal phrase intro- duces quotations from the source; Sanchez uses an MLA in-text citation. Marginal annotations indicate MLA-style formatting and effective writing. Source: Diana Hacker (Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2007). This paper has been updated to follow the style guidelines in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed. (2009). Source: Diana Hacker (Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2007). assessment oversimplifies a complex issue. Taylor does not consider that many downtown business districts failed long before chain stores moved in, when factories and mills closed and workers lost their Jobs. In cities with struggling economies, big-box stores can actually provide much-needed Jobs. Similarly, while Taylor blames big-box stores for harming local economies by asking for tax breaks, free roads, and other perks, she doesnt cknowledge that these stores also enter into economic partnerships with the surrounding communities by offering financial benefits to schools and hospitals. Taylors assumption that shopping In small businesses Is always better for the customer also seems driven by nostalgia for an old-fashioned Maln Street rather than by the facts. While she may be right that many small businesses offer personal service and are responsive to customer complaints, she does not consider that many customers appreciate the service at big-box stores. Just as customer service Is better t some small businesses than at others, It Is Impossible to generalize about service at all big-box stores. For example, customers depend on the lenient return pollcles and the wide variety of products at stores Ilke Target and Home Depot. Taylor blames big-box stores for encouraging American hyper-consumerism, but she oversimplifies by equating big-box stores with bad values and small businesses with realities of American society today. Big-box stores do not force Americans to buy more. By offering lower prices in a convenient setting, however, they allow consumers to save time and purchase

Analysis of Another Day by Paul McCartney Essay -- essays research pap

Paul McCartney’s â€Å"Another Day† is the song i chose to analyze. Within the song there are three main themes I took notice to. The themes I have chosen are discovering self worth, the yearning for varitey and the third theme relates to the previous two in that if a person is lacking meaning then they often become tired and fed up with living. McCartney was able to successfully weave them into each other to effectively tell a story of a life of one women by explaining her daily habits. For the most part these themes are easy to recognize because they are easily relateable in any person’s life. â€Å"Another Day† is about the feeling of boredom with life and the constant struggle to find happiness. The themes of boredom, uselessness and sadness are so common and universal making the song itself timeless. The first theme I took notice to was monotony. This seemed like the most prudent point of the song. â€Å"Every day she takes a morning bath she wets her hair,† is the opening line beginning the song with an immediate sense that it is a routine that this character, which thus far we know only as a female, goes through. The whole first verse is about what she is doing before work. The wording of her actions are very plain making her seem less than enthused to be going through the same thing again. Paul McCartney has this character, â€Å"slipping into stockings...dipping in the pocket of her raincoat.† This imagery brings with it a feeling of her being lackadaisical. The chorus reiterates this theme and the sense of a plodding life with â€Å"Its just another day...Its just another day...Its just another day.† The repetition of these lines is pulling the observer back to the feeling of drabness because of it being so flat in varitey of ... ... but as a person she should find happiness with herself and her own life before trying to merge another life into hers. Understanding her want for another person is not difficult to grasp but it should not be the meaning in life. While she is dwelling on her despondency alone in her apartment, oportunities of contentment are probably passing right by her and this women will be none the wiser until she can find enjoyment on her own. Paul McCartney is depicting a picture of a women who barely drags herself through the work day routine and lives a lonely life of sadness simply waiting for the right man to love her. She has built up in her head that as soon as she finds â€Å"Mister Right† she will be pleased with her life. McCartney does a brilliant job of outlining the struggle of people who attempt to find self worth in the approval and appreciation of other people.

Dr Pepper Essay

I. Factual Summary: Dr. Pepper is the main contender in the non-alcoholic beverage industry. Their wide range of products is the key to their continued success; by giving consumers variety. Dr. Pepper also remains profitable by maintaining a strong brand images and relationship with its consumers. Their main customers are large retails stores like Wal-Mart and Target; as well as convenient stores. II. Problem/ Opportunity: Dr. Pepper has the opportunity to branch out in the sports/energy drink market. The problem is the high level of competition. Red Bull and Monster already possess a great deal of the market and are well-known through branding and advertisement. III. Alternative Solutions: a.) Launch an energy drink and rely on the already existing relationships with vendors and consumers to make a profit. Use creative advertisements and slogans to compete against the competition. b.) Create an entirely new niche of product to stand out above the crowd. The product would need to be focused around the 18-25 age range; since that is where the market is seeing the most sales. Also, it will need to designed to fit into the â€Å"on-the go† lifestyle. c.) Focus on current products; and not venture into the sports drink genre. To avoid a potential loss of profit; Dr. Pepper could forgo launching a new line in an already competitive market. IV. Selection Solution: Dr. Pepper can launch a new drink that is protein filled. New to the shelves this product will attract the athletic consumer as well as those on the go lifestyles that are looking for a healthier drink choice. Dr. Pepper can still charge a higher price than Gatorade, and reach the same target market; since this is an entirely new concept. V. Conclusion The U.S. sports drink market posted total retail sales of $7.5 billion in 2006 and a year-over-year growth rate of about 13%. Dr. Pepper definitely needs to be part of this product category. By sticking out above the crowd with the protein filled drink, Dr. Pepper will not be directly competing against Red Bull or Monster, but will still have a presence in the health conscious market. Dr. Pepper can use in place relationships and strong brand image to its advantage while launching this new drink. It is important to target the right market with this product; which would be the 18 to 25 age range.

Essay on John Steinbeck’s Short Story, The Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums She was wearing â€Å"a man’s black hat†¦clod-hopper shoes, heavy leather gloves† and â€Å"a big corduroy apron† doing her best to cover up her femininity. In John Steinbeck’s short story, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†, we are introduced to Elisa Allen. Elisa is living during a period after the Great Depression when women’s rights issues were becoming a topic of public concern. Steinbeck uses the character Elisa Allen to portray the women’s struggle for equality. She is a woman deprived of social, personal and sexual fulfillment in a male-dominated world. Elisa struggles to find satisfaction in her womanhood and a desire to escape from her isolated world. â€Å"She was thirty-five. Her face was eager and mature and†¦show more content†¦She fights for his attention and acceptance throughout the story. This makes her turn weaker and weaker until the point where she does not care anymore and accepts the fact that she is a woman and consequently, inferior. â€Å"On every side it sat like a lid on the mountains and made the great valley a closed pot.† Steinbeck is showing how isolated Elisa feels and how hard it would be to escape the â€Å"pressure of the closed pot†. In many parts of the story she seems very frustrated and trapped with her life and has a need to let go. She envies the freedom of the visitor, â€Å"you sleep right in the wagon†¦it must be nice†. However, he reminds her of her sexuality by saying â€Å"it ain’t the right kind of a life for a woman†. Elisa becomes very defensive by this remark, the feeling of hopelessness comes over her and she realizes that she is indeed inferior to men. Elisa tends her garden with care and finds happiness and strength in it. Figuratively speaking, it takes the place of the children she does not have; it defines her sexuality and femininity. She cares for her flowers so delicately and motherly, placing a â€Å"wire fence that protected her flower garden†. This wire fence symbolizes her isolation from the rest of the world as well as her closed off heart towards her husband. Elisa waits for the time when she will beShow MoreRelatedExploring John Steinbecks Short Story, The Chrysanthemums: Is the Grass Really Greener on the Other Side?939 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Steinbeck used his short story, The Chrysanthemums, as a visual illustration to answer the adage, â€Å"Is the grass â€Å"really† greener on the other side?â€Å" During The Great Depression, the American dream had become a nightmare. What was once the land of opportunity was now the land of desperation. What was once the land of hope and optimi sm had become the land of despair. The American people were questioning all the maxims on which they had based their lives - democracy, capitalism, individualismRead More The Chrysanthemums Essay1649 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Steinbeck’s, The Chrysanthemums, was published in 1938 in a book of short stories, entitled The Long Valley. The Chrysanthemums has been a rather powerful draw for scholars because of its wide gap for interpretations and analysis of its main protagonist character, Elisa Allen and also the unique descriptions used to portray the deeper meaning behind the setting of the story. Themes of sexuality, oppression of women, as well as other numerous types of conflict portrayed in this rather somberRead MoreEssay on Analysis of The Chrysanthemums1139 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of The Chrysanthemums The short story The Chrysanthemums gives insight into the life of its author. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California. The locale of the story is of key resemblance to the Salinas in which Steinbeck was born and bread. Salinas was a typical American small town, [differing] only in location and a few distinctive features (McCarthy 3). The protagonist of this story, Elisa Allen, also resembles Steinbecks first wife. SteinbeckRead MoreComparing John Steinbeck s Mice And Men And The Grapes Of Wrath1126 Words   |  5 PagesComparing and Contrasting Steinbeck John Steinbeck is a famous author known for many of his short stories, as well as the books Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. His works have been studied and analyzed often because of his unique ability to create symbolism from small amounts of text. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† is a short story written by John Steinbeck, and was first published in 1939. It tells the story of a woman who feels she is capable of completing any task a man can, but is set back byRead MoreThe Chrysanthemums973 Words   |  4 Pages Prompt: How do the chrysanthemums as well as other symbols throughout the short story show women’s role in society? A Potential for Equality   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Humans, just as flowers, cannot fully live without sunlight. They cannot develop without nourishment, and most of all they cannot flourish if not carefully tended to. Just as the Chrysanthemums fight to stay strong and meaningful in the short story, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† by John Steinbeck, the main character, Emily, tries to do the same. BothRead More John Steinbecks â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† Essay1286 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Steinbecks â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums shows the true feelings of the main character, Elisa Allen, through the use of setting and her interactions with other characters in the story. By way of vivid descriptions, Elisas feelings of dissatisfaction over the lack of excitement in her life are portrayed. Her role as a mere housewife and then the subsequent change to feelings of a self-assured woman are clearly seen. These inner feelings are most apparent withRead MoreThe Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck Essay1029 Words   |  5 PagesSteinbeck’s â€Å"Chrysanthemums†: How Boundaries Limited Elisa’s Pursuing for Self Fulfillment â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†, â€Å"a brilliant piece of writing, perhaps the best story Steinbeck ever wrote†, as expressed by Jay Parini in his article Lawrence’s and Steinbeck’s â€Å"Chrysanthemums†, is one of the most interesting and ambiguous story of this writer. Steinbeck’s little story shows to the reader the reality of women during the nineteenth hundreds and the great depression. In order to show this reality,Read MoreEssay about Symbolism in The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck700 Words   |  3 PagesSymbolism in The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck At first glance John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums seems to be a story of a woman whose niche is in the garden. Upon deeper inspection, the story reveals strong symbolisms of children, vulnerability, and connection--being the most important, of the main character. Elisa Allen is the main character who is at her strongest and most proud in the garden and weakened when she becomes vulnerable and loses her connection to the outer worldRead More Elisa Confused Essay925 Words   |  4 PagesElisa Confused Like many short stories, John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† deceives most readers by appearing to be a simple short story. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums,† which only occupies about eight pages in textbooks, captures the emotional pain of a woman trying to live in the 1930’s. As critic Stanley Renner wrote, â€Å"’The Chrysanthemums’† shows â€Å"a strong capable woman kept from personal, social, and sexual fulfillment by the prevailing conception of a woman’s role in a world dominated by men† (RennerRead More Use of Symbols and Symbolism in John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums944 Words   |  4 Pagesof Symbols and Symbolism in John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      John Steinbecks short story The Chrysanthemums is about a proud, strong woman named Elisa Allen who feels frustrated with her present life. Her frustration stems from not having a child and from her husbands failure to admire her romantically as a woman. The only outlet for her frustration is her flower garden where she cultivates beautiful chrysanthemums. Steinbeck uses chrysanthemums as symbols of the inner-self