A View From the Bridge by Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

A View From the Bridge by Arthur Miller Essay In Arthur Millers play, A View From The Bridge the character of Alfieri is a very important piece of the play. He leads many different roles throughout the play, and is a very useful tool for letting the audience know what they need to do. In this essay, I will be examining the many different roles of Alfieri during the play, and examining what the effects are of these roles on the play, the other characters and the audience. I will also be looking briefly at the background of where the play is set, and also be looking briefly at the author, Arthur Miller. Arthur Miller was born in 1915, in Manhattan, New York. In his early years his family were pretty well off, but when the economic depression hit America in 1929, him and his family lost a lot of money and security. They had to move to a much poorer area of New York called Brooklyn. When Arthur Miller eventually left school at 17, he didnt have enough money or the right qualifications to enter University, and so he tried out a variety of jobs. His many jobs included a waiter, a lorry driver, a crooner on a local radio station and a shipping clerk. He saved all his money, and in 1934 was accepted into Michigan University. He won three awards for playwriting, but was still unemployed when he graduated four years later. During the Second World War, Miller was unable to complete military service due to an old injury he gained, and so instead did manual work at shipyards and some freelance radio scriptwriting. He enjoyed writing plays for live theatre, and his first play, The Man Who Had All The Luck, was first performed in 1949 at Broadway. It later went onto win the Theatre Guild National Prize. His next play, All My Sons, won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. His two most successful plays, Death Of A Salesman and The Crucible soon followed. He later went onto write the play I am studying: A View From The Bridge. The play is set in Red Hook a slum next to Brooklyn Bridge, New York. The neighbourhood is very rough, and everybody their looks after themselves primarily and their families. Law and Order are not welcome there, and Lawyers and Priests are generally untrusted people. The bay next to Brooklyn Bridge was a favourite place for immigrants to illegally enter the U.  S. A. Between 1820 and 1920, migration to the U. S. A was one of the biggest transportation of people in human history. In those 100 years, more than four million Italians went over to live there, hoping to leave behind the poverty and bad times from where they had previously lived, which in most cases was the South of Italy and Sicily. They migrated because they believed America could offer them more opportunities (including work) than their native land ever could. However, life often wasnt how they thought it would be. The immigrants were often so desperate for work that employers exploited them, by paying them the bare minimum they could. The jobs themselves were all hard manual labour, which would help America to increase its wealth and power. The immigrants found themselves living in the worst and cheapest housing around, but still thought they were better off in America than they would have been back in Italy or Sicily. Indeed, many Americans distrusted Italians, and believed them to be dangerous and violent. It is this idea of immigrants illegally entering the U. S. A that provides the plot for A View From The Bridge. The play is based around Eddie Carbone, a longshoreman, his wife Beatrice, and Eddies niece, Catherine. Eddie is very overly protective of Catherine, and doesnt really want to let her grow up. Beatrices cousins, Marco and Rodolpho, have just entered the U. S. A illegally from Sicily. Eddie and Beatrice agree to hide the cousins in their house. Rodolpho and Catherine become very good friends. Eddie becomes very suspicious of Rodolpho he accuses him of being gay and only wanting to marry Catherine so he can be a legal citizen of the U.S. A. Eddie tries to warn Catherine of his beliefs about Rodolpho, but she refuses to believe a word of it. Beatrice meanwhile, wants Catherine to grow up and so encourages her to marry Rodolpho. Eddie becomes more and more jealous and angry about the amount of time Catherine and Rodolpho spend together. He visits the local lawyer, Alfieri, and asks him if there is any way he can get rid of Rodolpho legally. Alfieri informs him that there is nothing he can do, and that he should just let Catherine go. The situation starts to grow worse and worse. One night, Eddie comes home drunk. He desperately tries once more to split up Catherine and Rodolpho, but he once again fails. After kissing Catherine and then Rodolpho, Eddie goes to visit Alfieri again. Alfieri once again advises Eddie to just let go of Catherine, but Eddie cant do it. Instead, he calls the Immigration Bureau and reports Marco and Rodolphos illegal entry to the U. S. A. The Immigration Bureau come and arrest Marco and Rodolpho, and after a big fight in the street, Marco spits in Eddies face (a huge insult). Alfieri pays bail for the two cousins and then arranges the wedding of Catherine and Rodolpho for the following day. Eddie is furious that Marco spat in his face, and so is desperate for revenge. Marco returns to the house angry for his own revenge, when Eddie turns a knife on Marco. Marco manages to turn the knife around and stab Eddie- who then dies of his injuries. However, it is the character of Alfieri that I will now be focusing on. Alfieri is the first character we meet in the play, which therefore means that everything he says must capture the attention of the audience immediately. In this first opening speech of his, he acts like a special kind of narrator; a character who is filling us in on a brief background of the setting, and setting the scene for the rest of the play. He appears at first walking along the road outside Eddies house, which is where the majority of the play is set. He informs the audience about the neighbourhood where the play is set, and tells them that this particular neighbourhood has no place for law and order: A lawyer means the law, and in Sicily, from where their fathers came, the law has not been a friendly idea since the Greeks were beaten.

What is This Thing Called Love? :: essays research papers

What is This Thing Called Love? A wise man once said that love is a wonderful thing. Although this statement leaves sparse room for argument, it does little to define what love is beyond the vague realm of wonderful. It is my duty as a devout romantic to embark upon the seemingly difficult task of defining love by looking at the history, explaining what love is not, and examining the uses of love and the results of that usage. (Origin and Causes) The origin of the word is probably the most logical place to start. As with many words in the English language, love is a derivative of the Latin word "causemajoraproblemus" which means "You're miserable when you got it and miserable when you don't." The word was created to explain the biological phenomenon that existed when certain individuals came into contact with each other and either remained together or went about their lives separately. Regardless of the outcome, the relationship was usually characteristic of throat lumps, knotted stomachs, and weak knees, temporary loss of language, sweaty palms, dizziness, sneezing, and occasional nausea. Belligerent insanity also resulted. History clearly illustrates this. Can we ever forget the face that launched a thousand ships? Federally expressing Van Gogh's ear? The construction of Le Tour Eiffel? All of these were results of love and love lost. (Negation) Star-crossed lovers have stated that love is not hand nor foot nor any part belonging to a man. Matrimonial ceremonies also claim that love is not jealous or boastful. Let it be stated here that love also is not a gourmet dish, a domesticated animal, or a latest trend. Love is not a strategic defense mechanism nor the best kept secret at the Pentagon. Love is not another seasoning to bottle and stick on the dust-lined shelves of the spice rack. Love is not to be confused with adhesive tape. Instead, love is a great counterpart to late, evening thunder storms on hot July nights. Love goes well with cold pizza on picnic blankets.

The Influence of Globalization and Localization

* Discuss the influence of globalization and localization when it comes to marketing brands. Modern business imperatives dictate that companies adopt a strategy of marketing both locally and globally if they have to compete or capture a significant portion of the market. The concept of global village means that the global market is shrinking and barriers that used to be impenetrable are breaking down allowing for businesses to market their brands out of their traditional market strongholds. The effects of this is that companies will make a global presence but with a local flavor and close attention to the new local communities or markets that they are seeking to acquire. A case in point is the KFC brand. It has the advantage of solid brand name which gives it an instant recognition and market share, but for it to make a significant inroad and capture a majority market shares, it must think locally by tailoring its menu, management and marketing to the local communities. This seems to be the strategy employed by David Novak of the Yum brands in China. He not only realized that a local presence through local management staff and menu makes good business sense, it also ensures the survival of the brand away from its home base. Would the same success be achieved with a less-visible brand? Explain your rationale from the receiver’s perspective. A less visible brand will find it difficult to make an inroad into the market due to the fact that consumers will have a bit of trepidation to accept the brand. The brand will have to work itself up by creating loyalty, employing locals, improved quality and community involvement to gain acceptance. Through advertisement, promotional offers, affordable price and incorporating local delicacies in its menu, a lesser known brand can become a well-known franchise and a visible brand as well. * What steps might you take to achieve the same kind of success with an almost unknown brand? I think the lesser known brand will do well by thinking locally by taking into consideration the sensitivities of the local communities it operates in, employ the locals, be a good local corporate citizen, incorporate the local delicacies on its menu so as to appeal to a wider variety of clients. Also, in its pricing, it must take into consideration the buying power and spending habits of the people to make sure that its products are within local reach. * Discuss the influence of globalization and localization when it comes to marketing brands. Modern business imperatives dictate that companies adopt a strategy of marketing both locally and globally if they have to compete or capture a significant portion of the market. The concept of global village means that the global market is shrinking and barriers that used to be impenetrable are breaking down allowing for businesses to market their brands out of their traditional market strongholds. The effects of this is that companies will make a global presence but with a local flavor and close attention to the new local communities or markets that they are seeking to acquire. A case in point is the KFC brand. It has the advantage of solid brand name which gives it an instant recognition and market share, but for it to make a significant inroad and capture a majority market shares, it must think locally by tailoring its menu, management and marketing to the local communities. This seems to be the strategy employed by David Novak of the Yum brands in China. He not only realized that a local presence through local management staff and menu makes good business sense, it also ensures the survival of the brand away from its home base. Would the same success be achieved with a less-visible brand? Explain your rationale from the receiver’s perspective. A less visible brand will find it difficult to make an inroad into the market due to the fact that consumers will have a bit of trepidation to accept the brand. The brand will have to work itself up by creating loyalty, employing locals, improved quality and community involvement to gain acceptance. Through advertisement, promotional offers, affordable price and incorporating local delicacies in its menu, a lesser known brand can become a well-known franchise and a visible brand as well. What steps might you take to achieve the same kind of success with an almost unknown brand? I think the lesser known brand will do well by thinking locally by taking into consideration the sensitivities of the local communities it operates in, employ the locals, be a good local corporate citizen, incorporate the local delicacies on its menu so as to appeal to a wider variety of clients. Also, in its pricing, it must take into consideration the buying power and spending habits of the people to make sure that its products are within local reach. Numerous theorists discuss cultural concepts. Using this information as a basis, discuss the concepts you would want to analyze and evaluate in order to prepare you and other company executives for the upcoming meeting. * Which of the concepts you discussed would be the hardest to analyze? Why? * Describe a worst case scenario involving the muddling of culture concepts. What steps could you (or your company) take to ensure something similar never happens to you? Numerous theorists discuss cultural concepts. Using this information as a basis, discuss the concepts you would want to analyze and evaluate in order to prepare you and other company executives for the upcoming meeting. There are so many issues that come to mind when preparing for a meeting with a foreign business audience. The first thing would be to know the audience and the cultural, social background to be able to formulate an adequate communication strategy to make the message clear and understandable. There is always the issue of cultural differences that have to be bridged. This translates into what to say and how to say that will not generate any misunderstanding or negative feelings. Understanding the verbal and non-verbal cues that are important in cross cultural exchanges is very important. For example, there is a definite difference between a Japanese or Korean business concept and communication and that of an American. Therefore, advance knowledge and preparation for any meeting between people from these cultures is very critical. What is the gender perception in each culture? Would I send a female to go do a business deal in a culture that has a less favorable view of women in power? What is the most appropriate language to use and what is the distance to maintain when discussing are the issues that would have to deal with. Any company that has a diverse business- be it internal or external must have a policy and procedure manual on how to deal with such diverse base. * Which of the concepts you discussed would be the hardest to analyze? Why? While one may be able to analyze the cultural, socio-graphics and other concepts, being able to nalyze the individual specific reaction in a real situation as personal differences come to play. Certain non-verbal cues may be very hard to analyze and it will be left to he participants to figure out the meaning of each non-verbal gesture to avoid misunderstanding and potential conflict. * Describe a worst case scenario involving the muddling of culture concepts. What steps could you (or your company) take to ensure som ething similar never happens to you? A worst case scenario would be where beliefs and world views are so opposite that communication is impeded. An assumption of superiority by one side over the other may be a recipe for disaster and a deal killer. I had an experience back home in Africa when I received some people from England as I was accustomed to doing. There was always a feeling of being patronized by my European counterpart by not respecting my cultural taboos and on many occasions I had to call them to order and insisted on things being done with mutual respect. I think, preparing my experts on how to behave and respect the cultures of others by not being judgmental and patronizing is definitely one thing to do. Recognizing the non-verbal cues of approval or disapproval is key to avoiding conflict when negotiating. Assignment 1: Communication Process (due by Sunday before midnight). Find a Web site that has an â€Å"About Us† section or a â€Å"Press Release† section. Write a three to four (3-4) page paper addressing the following: 1. Identify the Web site, the sender, and perceived receiver. 2. Analyze the integrated business communication. 3. Assess the media richness of the section. 4. Describe how the message is framed. 5. Identify opinion leaders. 6. Make recommendations for improving word choice.

Charity Event Profile Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility in American History Free Essay Example, 1000 words

In terms of activities and planning of the charity fundraising, it was noted that a number of books which were being sold as the best sellers were put to more rates. The reason for adding more rates on the best-sellers was because people coming to Library Store would surely be buying sellers. It is commonly known that the best sellers as predicted in the newspapers are bought from Library Store in Los Angeles. This was the reason for which the best sellers were being sold at the charity raiser with more prices. Many IOs Application developers also participated in the event to provide access to visitors to the application through their smartphones. It should be noted that most of the book lovers in Los Angeles have converted to online book reading habit. This is with the help of IOs application for e-reading. This event was an open platform for software developers. Seemingly, these software developers were selling their applications for raising fund for the charity. The amount which was received by the software developers for selling online or electronic books were completely given to the charity fundraiser. We will write a custom essay sample on Charity Event Profile: Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility in American History or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now These software developers were basically employees of different famous software developing firms. The event was also made interesting yet welcoming for visitors because of the tech gallery. It was a section that was created and decorated in the courtyard of the Library Store. A number of IPads which were open for the visitors to the for the purpose of reading abstracts of books. This was to persuade the readers to buy the books so that the profit could have been given to the charity. The affiliated manner in which funds were raised by the library was in the form of premium membership of the library which allowed the readers to get special discounts on buying the books and take books at run-time. The amount of money which was collected by selling the membership of the library was given to fundraising charity reasons. This fund was sent to different hospitals. There were other ways of conducting charitable activities