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F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the narrator, Nick Carraway, tells the story ofhis infamous neighbor, Gatsby, who threw nightly extravagant parties in attempt to attract hislover. The only flaw in that mindset was that the woman, Daisy, was married. He desperatelyovercame obstacles to win her heart back but failed at last. Nostalgia is depicted as dangerousbecause if you focus on the past you cannot live in the present, as Gatsby did.

The novel centers around the tensions between Gatsbyand Daisy. The main reason why he decided to situate himself on West Egg was because hecould oversee see her house on East Egg. He was so blinded by love to a point that he wouldtrade his life in to catch a glimpse of her, even if it were just for a moment. He firmly believedthat the past could be recreated, and everything would be ‘normal’ again despite all those yearsapart. He transformed himself into someone worth her status, to show her how far he had come. However, he wanted their relationship to remain exactly same and pick it up from where they leftoff. His theory of her waiting and closing herself off from love until his reappearance was afoolish fantasy. He knew she had a new family without him, but he refused to believe it. Hechased a dream that ultimately led to his downfall. After years of living across on the other sidefrom Daisy, Gatsby finally found a personwho was in direct contact with his Daisyher—Jordan Baker. At Nick’s first party, he requested to‘speak to her alone’ (50). The long-awaited moment arrived, which was his first step in2Leungattempting to contact Daisy. Soon after, he became anxious, obsessed even.

In Chapter 4, it ismentioned that he once ‘““half expected her to wander into one of his parties”’” (79). He thoughtshe would show up at his doorstep and leap into his open arms. The image shattered, she neverappeared, but he never stopped trying. Further down in the passage, Gatsby had indirectly askedNick to invite Daisy to his house so Gatsby could pop over. Gatsby expected the meeting to bemagical, as if fireworks were exploding among them. He pictured their reunion millions of timesand even though the beginning seemed awkward, they made up and loved each other again. Gatsby almost got what he wished for. Nevertheless, the situation did not turn out as hehad hoped. In fact, he ruined all his chances with his ‘goddess’ because of one stupid mistake.

InChapter 7, Gatsby urged Daisy to proclaim her indifference for her husband. He wanted Daisy tosay that she ‘“never loved him’,,” which caused a huge conflict. He desired Daisy all to himselfand became too controlling. The thought of Daisy loving another man made him delusional andhe firmly believed that every single part of her was his. Reliving the past immobilized his abilityto consider the present that Daisy could only give him half her heart. But he wanted more. Following the accident, he remained outside the Buchanan’s house until long after midnight tokeep watch for her. He did nothing and just stood there, showing that he was insignificant to heralready. Wistfulness did not only occur to Gatsby, but to Daisy as well. Her longing of the pastnearly destroyed her marriage with Tom Buchanan, though his infidelity also had its owndamages. When Gatsby brought Daisy and Nick to his room, she cried drastically when shetouched his shirts. All the memories suddenly started to pour in and she remembered all theirjoyous times together.

The man she loved was right in front of her and there was nothing shecould do about it. Both sides wished they could relive everything, settle down together and love3Leungone another for the rest of their lives. But it was virtually impossible. They had their own livesthat molded them into completely different persons and forcing out of the mold broke them apart. Society already had a plan for them, and they were powerless against it.

Their nostalgia was unable to help the two deal with reality—their greatest enemy thatresulted in the pitiful tragedy. The setting also implied the strong connection to the past. Two places that exemplify thereformation of older days were Gatsby’s chateau and Tom’s mistress, Myrtle’s New Yorka Apartment. They both include early architectural styles that do not quite fit within the age of theroaring twenties. The premodern design suggests the holding onto what already happened, notbeing able to move forward. This resonates with the theme of the book that the past was alwayswith you. Gatsby’s mansion was constructed to replicate French estates. It towered over Nick’scomparatively modest house like a giraffe. He cleverly covered up the old design by hostingcountless contemporary parties so people would not realize how he copied others. Instead, all theguests did was marvel at the grandeur of his marvelous residence. Gatsby was inspired by hisancestor’s sophisticated architypes that he decided to rip it off them. With even the place heresided in having some sort of influence to the past, it adds to the impression that he was anoutdated man who dwelled on reminiscences. Myrtle’s New York apartment was her home away from home. She spent her time therewith Tom scandalously, and yet having no shame. Based on her status, she did not deserve any ofNew York, because her husband was an ordinary man from the Valley of Ashes. However,kindling romance with Tom allowed her to step outside her comfort zone,. she She pretended tobe someone she was not, someone who was far beyond what she was. Fitzgerald slyly included4Leunghints of history in her apartment as well. Except for a picture of her mother hanging on the wall,the rest of the decoration included furniture sprawled all around.

They took up a vast amount ofspace in her tiny apartment. The chairs were tapestried with French women in ‘the gardens ofVersailles’ (29). Moving down the social ladder, from Gatsby to Myrtle, they all longed for thepast. It is shown from their styles that have not seemed to change from whoever preceded them. Perhaps because of happier memories or because the present was too hard to endure, they’drather focus their attention on the days before. When living in the present, one should enjoy the moments while it lasts. Dwelling on thepast like many of the characters in The Great Gatsby would not benefit anyone because all itdoes is harm, making the present unlivable.

Table of contents

1. Introduction
2. Feminist analysis of “The Necklace”
3. Conclusion

Introduction

Are men and women equal? Are we experiencing feminism nowadays? Is it important? Once a famous statesmen in Finland, Harri Holkeri, said that men and women have different roles yet their rights are absolutely equal. As a part of the Generation Z, I have seen so much advocacies that fight for gender equality, such that the campaigns of LGBTQ+ and Gabriela. Many people thought that feminist theory only tackles about women’s power and promotes the superiority among females. In real life, it focuses on the viewing different perspectives in society and finding a way to illuminate the unending inequality and mistreatment towards the two sexes – thus, it demands for equality and fair judgement. The theory’s aspect is to stop these social problems and issues towards women, on the other hand, irresponsible misidentification and being so overrated and dominant of male’s perspective in the history. According to Jennifer Carlson and Raka Ray (2018), feminist theory discusses both of the inequality of gender relations, at the same time, about the different structures of a man and a woman. As time passes by, every person’s perspective becomes fair and equitable for the both sexes, which is something that we need to be proud of. Basically, people thought that a woman is much weaker and has lesser rights and lower positions than a man in the previous years of our deepest history, they thought that a woman is just a person that can control the affairs in the house. However, people nowadays become fair to the two sexes, the mindset on the earlier years were gone and changed that women are much better than people think who they are and they can do everything that men can done. It just proves that they are much more than just a housewife.

Feminist analysis of “The Necklace”

The story of “The Necklace” highlights men’s power with all of the things and they have the control on every woman’s decision. Using feminist theory, it discusses the relationship between a male who has the power on everything and a female who only has the right to manage the events of the home. The author narrates Mathilde Loisel, the protagonist, as one of the pretty and charming girls in the town. Mathilde is married to a clerk and unhappy with what she has in her life. She confidently believes that she is a blessed woman with a beautiful physical appearance that is why she thought that she deserves nothing but all of the luxuries in the world. On the other hand, according to the story, she is unaccomplished and not wealthy at all. In “The Necklace”, she was described as being insubstantial and materialistic, just like what is in the story, “She had no clothes, no jewels, nothing. And these were the only things she loved; she felt that she was made for them”, meaning, she is too desperate for wealth. The lady in the story is under the patriarchal society where women have lesser rights that men. She portrays the role of being a woman in the public for the past hundred years: a housewife.

The patriarchal society where Mathilde grew affects her attitude and personalities. Because she is a lady who is in the world where society focuses in man’s power, she has almost no control in her life. As seen in the story, Mrs. Loisel thought that wealthiness is based upon on how many luxurious things you have, such that jewelries with different sizes of stones and shining diamonds and has a lot of elegant clothes that is appropriately wearable at any affairs. Just like on how she declined the invitation that her husband gave her, she does not like to wear the dress that she just wore the last time they went to the theatre and how she rejected her husband’s offer about her by wearing flowers into the party and described herself looking poor in the middle of rich women. Mathilde wants to look good and she is something that is basing her physical appearance by how many luxury accessories she has in her body. Her husband, Monsieur Loisel, is completely the opposite of Mathilde. He is very thankful with every single thing he has and contented on how he was blessed with small joys that he encounters in his life. Nevertheless, he has the one who is controlling his wife. Mathilde, in the story, is incapable of using her right in making decisions. Monsieur decides every happening in their marriage. Each and every decision depends on the husband – Monsieur was the one who gives idea to his wife to borrow necklace to Madame Forestier just for her to look good at the prestigious event, he also told Mathilde to lie about losing the diamond necklace and tell Madame Forestier that she only broke the clasp of the necklace instead, and his decision to borrow moneys just to replace the lost necklace and pay back the damage that his wife done. The husband was the one who is making decisions and has dominant role in marriage, Mathilde, at the same time, cannot do anything because she is under the man. What she only wants is to be wealthy and to be in the man’s shoe. I, having a feminist lens, think that it is how the society viewed the two sexes before. It is unequal and unfair. Power is something that is in the husband’s hands and Mathilde is obviously under Monsieur. She has no right to make any decisions in their marriage and in her life at all.

Conclusion

Using the point of view of a Feminist, the central theme of the story is all about underrating women’s power. The story features Monsieur’s control in everything and hard works just to replace the lost necklace. However, by looking at my perspective, I think even a woman can do that. Even a woman can do everything that a man can do. Mathilde can do what Monsieur does, on the other hand, the lady is restricted because she is that typical dutiful housewife who only have the power to control nothing but their house. It just happens to be like that owning the fact that the story that was read is facing patriarchal society.

Table of contents

1. Does Time Pass More Slowly When We Are Younger
Does Time Really Fly When You’re Having Fun?Do All Animals Perceive Time the Same Way?
2. Conclusion

Have you ever argued with a friend about how quickly time is passing? You might have found that a film really dragged, whereas they felt like Paddington 2 was over in the blink of an eye. If you are busy at work the day can seem to go faster than when there are no customers, or meetings or if the phone doesn’t ring. Do we all experience time differently from one another? And does time speed up and slow down depending on our mood, activities and experiences? Famous French philosopher Henri Bergson would say yes (or rather “oui”…)

In the earliest part of the 20th century the Frenchman Henri Bergson was the most celebrated philosopher of his day, attracting huge audiences to his lectures. His 1889 doctoral thesis was all about time: “Time and Free Will: An Essay on the Immediate Data of Consciousness”. In it he explored the theory that humans experience time differently to the scientific measurement of time – the clock time of technology is not the same as the psychological time we experience.

Does Time Pass More Slowly When We Are Younger

When you were little, didn’t car journeys and the period between festive seasons seem interminable? As adults, however, Christmas is upon us again before we know it. Why is this? (It can’t just be because the TV ads now start in October.) The thinking is that our perception of time seems to be largely determined by how much information we need to absorb. When the brain receives information from the outside world it needs to process it. If the information is familiar then very little time is needed for this, but new information requires more processing and this can make time stretch out. When we were younger so much of what we were experiencing was new, so time actually felt longer.

Does Time Really Fly When You’re Having Fun?

It’s true that a day larking around with friends can be over before we know it. However, it’s not the fact we’re enjoying ourselves that makes it speed by - simply being happy and content will not necessarily make time pass more quickly - it’s all to do with our attention being occupied. If we’re fully engaged in an activity or pursuit, multitasking or focused on achieving a goal, then time can seem to fly by. On the other hand, when we’re bored or our mind isn’t occupied we’re less distracted. We end up “clock-watching”, unable to believe how slowly the time is creeping past.

Memory also has an impact on how we perceive time. As discussed, an exciting holiday will seem to fly by. A week at work, trawling through emails, can drag on and on. However, when you look back on these different periods several months later, your memory will tell you otherwise. The slow and boring week at work will seem shorter in your memory and the holiday will seem like it lasted a lot longer than it did at the time. This is because memories are formed when we have new experiences, and the more emotional or the less familiar the experience, the stronger the memory will be. On holiday, because we are experiencing so many new things, we will form lots of robust memories. These act like markers, punctuating the period of time and giving it a sense of duration. Conversely, we may not make many specific memories from a normal, mundane week at work (no one wants to relive back-to-back meetings). Without those markers it will seem like the time passed much faster than it did when we were there, living it.

Do All Animals Perceive Time the Same Way?

Do we perceive time in the same way as a dog or a giraffe? Probably not. And it could all be down to metabolism. Most larger animals have a slower metabolic rate, and time passes relatively rapidly for them. However, smaller animals tend to have faster metabolisms, and experience time passing more slowly. Ever wondered how a fly can so easily evade a swatting newspaper? It may be that a fly can distinguish more movement in less time than a human, and that it senses the newspaper coming towards it relatively slowly.

Conclusion

The science of time is, the Frenchman Henri Bergson posed, based on a misconception. We divide time into discrete, separate, spatial constructs – a second, a minute, an hour – but we do not experience time in this form. Just like a film, what we see is a continuous flow of footage but actually what we are watching is a series of stills. For us, time is continual. As soon as we attempt to measure a moment, it is gone. And, whereas in science time will forever remain the same, for all of us it can speed up or slow down. Psychological time is subjective.

Table of contents

1. Context
2. Historical Background
AudiencesInformationStrategiesPurpose of the SpeechPersonal Opinion
3. References

Context

Hillary Clinton’s 2011 speech on the rights of the LGBT community delivered in Geneva, Switzerland during the International Human Rights Day on December 6th sought to inform the world that members of the LGBT deserve to be treated like any other members of the society. Clinton delivered her speech at the UN assembly where heads of states from different countries were gathered. Clinton’s speech must have been informed by the spate of violence against gays and lesbians in various countries. In the speech, Clinton maintained that members of the LGBT are voiceless minorities. As such, they cannot stand for their rights, and any attempt to do so is met by public ridicule and marginalization.

Historical Background

One outstanding feature of Clinton’s speech is its historical background. Before delving into the issue of the rights of the LGBT, Clinton begins her speech by recounting the events that culminated in the formation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She takes her audience way back in 1947 when the declaration was made. She provides solid and indisputable facts that are a matter of public record. For instance, she mentions how South Africa’s constitution was effective at protecting the rights of Gay people post-apartheid. By doing so, Clinton appeals to her audience’s ethos.

Audiences

The primary audience of Hilary’s speech was the heads of state and other delegates that had gathered in Geneva for a UN assembly. Clinton targeted these influential individuals because they are the ones responsible for making policies that either create freedoms for members of the LGBT or make them live in fear. On the other side, the secondary audiences of Clinton’s speech were ordinary citizens residing in all corners of the earth. It goes without mentioning that Hillary provides more than enough information that quenches her audiences’ thirst for information. At no point does she digress to concentrate on irrelevant issues.

Information

Clinton had a clear idea of who her audience was. She, therefore, used effective rhetoric techniques to appeal to their logic and emotions. Particularly, she used repetition in her speech to emphasize her points and to drive the point home. For instance, when she repeated the phrase “It is a violation of human rights” in her speech more than five times, she emphasized on the gravity of the issue she was speaking about. By doing so, she managed to capture the attention of her audience.

Strategies

Most importantly, her emotional appeal was evident in the entire speech. For instance, by asking the question “How would it feel if it were a crime to love the person I love?” she helped the audience to see the challenges that the gay people encounter on a daily basis as they seek to be recognized as equal members of the society. This question must have stirred emotions of pity and empathy among the members of the audience. What is more, Clinton’s speech is a perfect example of a discrete text. The discourse is clear and not ambiguous.

Purpose of the Speech

Clinton’s primary objective was to create awareness about the plight of members of the LGBT community. More so, she used her speech to exhort those in power to create friendly environments where gays and lesbians can live without the fear of being harmed for who they are. If the roaring applause by the members of the UN assembly at the end of the speech is anything to go by, then Clinton achieved her purpose.

Personal Opinion

I learned about the struggles of the members of LGBT. I was moved by Clinton’s emotions when she was delivering the speech. She did not mince her words when she said that human rights are for all humans, regardless of their sexual orientation. Given that I respect gays and lesbians, I will take every opportunity to educate those around me about the rights of these fellow human beings.

References

1. Brummmett, B. (2015). Rhetoric in Popular Culture. New York: Sage Publications Inc.
2. Knudsen, R. A. (2014). Homeric Speech and the Origins of Rhetoric. London: JHU Press.
3. PFLAG Atlanta. (2019, March). VIDEO AND TRANSCRIPT: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s speech today on LGBT rights. Retrieved from PFLAG Atlanta: https://www.pflagatl.org/video-and-transcript-secretary-of-state-hillary-clintons-speech-today-on-lgbt-rights/
4. Toye, R. (2013). Rhetoric: A Very Short Introduction. Manchester: OUP Oxford.

How is Eric presented in An Inspector Calls? This essay analyzes Eric Birling as an influential and significant character in the play. Priestly uses Eric's character to show the change in the younger generation and his own socialist views of 1912. He is initially introduced in the stage directions, “half shy, half assertive” which immediately creates the impression that this character is awkward and may not know how to fully express himself, especially with the pressure he has as we see further in the play.

We learn early on that Eric has a drinking problem because he asks for “more drinks” even though Sheila has already noticed that he is “squiffy” due to his erratic and inappropriate actions and laughs. We can assume that Eric drinks to ease the pressure of conforming to his family’s ways because he is different to them. He also goes out drinking because he is unhappy with the life he lives because he disagrees with his father’s brutal methods. The fact that he drinks may also foreshadow Eric’s revelations later in the play as we learn that he forces himself on Eva. The audience may start to feel suspicious of Eric during the dinner, “Eric suddenly guffaws.” This may suggest that Eric has an idea of Gerald's affair but decides to hide it from Sheila. This indicates how perceptive Eric may really be. His perceptiveness is further demonstrated as he describes his sister with a “nasty temper” which may foreshadow her jealousy of Eva before she was sacked from Milwards and his following description “not bad really” maybe hinting at the kinder side of Sheila which is seen after her interrogation.

Eric does not seem to have a good relationship with his father. Arthur continuously patronises Eric and treats him like a childlike boy. He is also very different compared to his father, “why shouldn’t they try for higher wages” demonstrating that he understands the struggle of Mr Birling's work. He also shows his negative views on capitalist opinions as he does not see “why she should have been sacked.” He does not agree with Mr Birling's choices and the way he thinks. This may be one of the reasons why they are distant with each other. Mr Birling describes Gerald as “the son I never had,” which enforces the idea that Eric is not living up to his father’s expectations and is seen as an outsider compared to Gerald.

During his interrogation we learn that Eric irresponsibly fathers a child with Eva Smith, who he had no intention of marrying. He states, “I threatened to make a row,” which shows an aggressive side to Eric as he abuses his power and authority to show dominance over Eva. In 1912, women were seen as inferior and submissive towards men and were used for sexual purposes. “She was pretty and a good sport” demonstrates how inconsiderate he was and how similar he was to the men at that time. He is portrayed as irresponsible and reckless as he did not think of the consequences he would eventually face. However, we see a more considering side to Eric as he starts realising the mistakes he has made and feels guilt and remorse for what he has done. “That’s the hellish thing” he realises the mistake of drinking so much to cause troubles for another person.

Eric begins to show a change in himself when he steals money from his father to support Eva after learning of the pregnancy. This may make the upper-class audience feel the need to help the working-class citizens using the money they earn themselves. “You’re not the sort of chap a man could go to when he’s in trouble.” This exemplifies Eric's loneliness as he was unable to go to his own father at desperate times. This may cause the audience feel respect and sympathy for Eric as he had no one else to turn to but he still went against his father in order to support Eva Smith.

In conclusion, Eric and Sheila show clear disagreement in the older generation’s capitalist views as they have accepted their responsibility and realise their mistakes. “She’s dead and we all helped to kill her” shows that he accepts responsibility and encourages his family to accept their mistakes. He is a representation of how the younger generation is easily influenced on the socialist views on the world and Priestly uses him to send a message to the upper class audience.

Table of contents

1. The Meaning of Freedom
The Power of Education
2. My Bibliography

“I felt like a bird out of a cage. Amen. Amen. Amen. I could hardly ask to feel any better than I did that day…. The week passed off in a blaze of glory”

Houston H. Holloway, former slave, on the emancipation proclamation in 1865

“I was free, but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land.”

Attributed to Harriet Tubman, on the emancipation proclamation in 1865

There have been many significant events that have happened in the history of America: from the first European settlement in North America in 1565, to the Seven Years’ war and to the American Revolutionary war in 1775. But few would rival the rippling effects the end of the Civil War inflicted on America. After years of agony, humiliation and psychological pain inflicted by the white Americans on the helpless African Americans who were made to be slaves, the centuries in which they had to endure this pain admirably, seemed to have finally ended towards the end of the Civil War. That is, Lincoln’s controversial decision to proceed with the Emancipation Proclamation, a document that stated that “all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a state, …. Shall be then, thenceforward and forever free.” The initial impact that drew from this major turning point in the war was stark, not due to the change in the sanctity of life for African American slaves themselves, but on the outcome on the war.

Upon this declaration, there was an increase in slaves escaping from their white owners in the South, enlisting and strengthening the Union army but at the same time, weakening the Confederacy, whose economy largely relied on the use of slaves but to also, dissuade potential European imperial powers from supporting the Confederacy. Whether or not it was Lincoln’s priorities to abolish slavery before the Civil war does not matter, but rather it was inevitable that there would be a transitioning period, a period now known as the Reconstruction era (1863-1877) in modern times. The Emancipation Proclamation turned the war from a political war, where by Lincoln’s main priority was the preservation of the Union, to a moral war, inducing revised, existing perceptions and widely held beliefs from the white Americans, about whether their mistreatment of former African Americans were justifiable or not.

As the war came to a definitive end, the introduction of the Emancipation Proclamation breathed new life into the freedmen, who finally had this unveiling that left them in an open playing field. But what is most interesting are the events that followed after the Emancipation Proclamation, particularly the Reconstruction Era, where former African Americans were looking many answers to different problems such as integration but a commonality between virtually all former African American slaves was the solution to to an extremely, difficult philosophical question. What is freedom? And more importantly, what freedom would compensate about a century’s worth of humiliation, torture, suffering the prideful black community had to endure?

Although the expectation among many slave abolitionists at the time was the longing for a clear future, in reality the Emancipation Proclamation transformed a war of armies into a conflict of societies, with slavery at the heart of it all. Former slaves were legally set free, but a lack of identity and a sense of direction led to a stagnant progression that was dreamed of, but never acted on, with society as a whole, unable to replicate the same ambition and desire shown by these former slaves. It is important to state that this brief yet hugely significant era must be acknowledged and remembered as the potential dangers of not learning the changes that followed the Emancipation Proclamation, especially in the lives of African American slaves would inevitably divide racial groups even further and isolate ourselves from fully understanding the significance of slavery. But also, perhaps emotionally, dismissing slavery as something that occurred as a outlier to humanity’s advancement would be brutal and sickening to those who sacrificed themselves and who died as martyrs such as John Brown, where if mankind does pursue this method of thinking, they would have died in vain, failing to accomplish their dreams to spark conversations and the coexisting between racial groups.

My thesis to the question, “To what extent did the lives of African Americans change following the Emancipation Proclamation?”, is that following the Emancipation Proclamation, although conditions harbored similar treatments to slavery, there was the repairing of dignity among former African American slaves and the birth of a well-developed black community build on pride, strength and will that was adamant on becoming viewed as an equal to their once white masters. One thing to note is that although the Emancipation proclamation did not impact cultural factors directly, merely the idea of freedom emitted from it, was an underlying trigger that sought to repair a diminished identity among African Americans ever since they were slaves.

An assumption that will be made in this essay is that any changes in the lives of African Americans lives were constant and general as it is important to acknowledge that changes to African American lives varied differently from state to state and there is simply not enough time to examine all changes in all states but rather the most evident ones that occurred in America.

The Meaning of Freedom

Perhaps the most dramatic difference between pre-emancipation proclamation and after emancipation proclamation is the introduction of the idea of freedom. But before proceeding it must be made clear as what the definition of freedom is. The problem is that defining such an ambiguous concept with a definitive outline would be extremely inaccurate, and through historical events and the natural order of time, definitions and terminologies stand to be altered and assigned an alternative value. The most sensible and intuitive approach to take in this scenario is to define what freedom meant during the Reconstruction Era, but particularly to the former African American slaves.

For many, the definition of freedom was to be presented with a fair opportunity to reunite with family lost through years of slavery, either by selling or escaping, to ensure their children had education to gain a deeper insight into life and develop as an individual and this should come to no surprise but to be abstained from ever experiencing violence and sexual exploitation that was an overwhelming presence in the institution of slavery and to also be able to secure occupations that could provide for one’s family.2 This, it turns out, is an effective definition and concept of freedom. Unfortunately, even with the most ambiguous term such as freedom, will have limitations. An example of this would be that freedom does not protect itself from racial hatred, unequal opportunities or a factor that escalated even further than the reconstruction era, discrimination which continued towards the tail end of the 20th century. The realization of this newly found freedom that a former slave possessed was incredible, with a wide array of opportunities on offer such as controlling one’s occupation but unfortunately, they faced an equal amount of problems that came with freedom. An analogy of this complicated, frustrating dilemma would be if one offered them

to unleash their sealed wings and fly only to find out that there is a wider cage representing itself as an obstacle, one that cannot be escaped even with the power of freedom. Thus, it is important to keep in mind that as much as freedom had its advantages, there were also disadvantages that was arguably worse than the advantages.

The Power of Education

Few factors were more essential than the enlistment into the army, which was fortunately recognised by the former African American slaves as the key to understanding life and more importantly how to better use their freedom, with the admittance that to fulfill the desire to be placed on equal footing with their fellow white Americans, they must first undergo the same educational procedures as the white Americans had experienced. The opportunity of education first arose through enlistment in the army where 180,000 blacks served in the Union Army, providing further evidence that the Emancipation proclamation would be a success. Although former African American slaves were still subjected to abuse, the army gave former slaves a dignified sense of purpose, knowing that their actions could contribute in determining the Civil War. In the army, former slaves learnt how to read and write in the army from teachers employed by the Northern aid societies or in classrooms and literary clubs established and funded by the soldiers themselves. The importance of education was heightened further when many black soldiers would come from the army to become black political leaders of Reconstruction, including dozens of delegates to state constitutional conventions, sixty legislators, three lieutenant governors and four congressmen.

Soon, many African Americans understood that for their community to progress as far from slavery as possible, they must obtain knowledge that had been accessible to white Americans. But for them, the accessibility of education was largely restricted bar a few blacks who were taught by the minority of white masters who felt sympathetic to them. Lives of African Americans changed immediately after the civil war when they were exposed to the creation of schools. One of the ways that this was achieved was through the Freedmen’s bureau. The Freedmen’s bureau was created in 1865 by President Abraham Lincoln, where one of the many ways that it aimed to aid former slaves was through the exposure of education to them. However, the involvement of blacks themselves could not be understated, as many schools were created by themselves.

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This involved a long and gruelling process where they would pool they resources which were meagre at the time, to hire teachers and they would create schools by finding buildings, building buildings, or using abandoned buildings, to create schools. In this schools, it was not just children who went to these schools, but adults and elderly people who seeked education to understand experiences they have gone through and to expand their knowledge as well. Blacks understood that education was essential in becoming American Citizens and learning to read, as they now could acquire skills to combat racism that had oppressed them for centuries through law and other means. Overall, lives of African Americans changed massively in terms of education as they could now access education, helping expand their knowledge and to have an opportunity to help combat the racism that oppressed them by fighting laws and policies through courts. But perhaps more generally, education was the gateway for the average African American to integrate themselves to mainstream society and to achieve the American dream that their ancestors and themselves had been barred from for centuries. Thus, education changed African Americans lives for the better following the Emancipation Proclamation.

My Bibliography

1. Bunch, Lonnie G. 'Emancipation Evoked Mix of Emotions for Freed Slaves.' The Washington Post. September 07, 2012. Accessed May 08, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/emancipation-evoked-mix-of-emotions-for-freed-slaves/2012/09/07/57ad5184-f15a-11e1-892d-bc92fee603a7_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.439b4e2ee402.
2. Editors, History.com. 'Sharecropping.' History.com. June 24, 2010. Accessed May 06, 2019. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/sharecropping.
3. Editors, History.com. 'Freedmen's Bureau.' History.com. June 01, 2010. Accessed May 06, 2019. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/freedmens-bureau.
4. Editors, History.com. 'Emancipation Proclamation.' History.com. October 29, 2009. Accessed May 07, 2019. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/emancipation-proclamation.
5. Foner, Eric. A Short History of Reconstruction, 1863-1877. New York: Harper Perennial, 2015.
6. Gillett, Rachel, and Allana Akhtar. 'The Top 20 Presidents in US History, According to Historians.' Business Insider. July 04, 2018. Accessed May 07, 2019. https://www.businessinsider.com/the-top-20-presidents-in-us-history-according-to-historians-2017-2.
7. Horton, James Oliver. Slavery and Public History: The Tough Stuff of American Memory. Chapel Hill: Univ. of North Carolina Press, 2009.
8. History.com Editors. 'Lincoln Issues Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction.' History.com. November 13, 2009. Accessed May 06, 2019. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincoln-issues-proclamation-of-amnesty-and-reconstruction.
9. Lincoln, Abraham. 'Emancipation Proclamation.' HistoryNet. Accessed May 07, 2019. https://www.historynet.com/emancipation-proclamation.
10. NARA, and Abraham Lincoln. 'The Emancipation Proclamation Speech.' National Archives and Records Administration. March/April 2001. Accessed May 06, 2019. https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/american_originals_iv/sections/nonjavatext_emancipation.html.
11. Wilson, Woodrow. A History of the American People. New York: New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1907.
12. 'Schools and Education During Reconstruction.' PBS. Accessed May 18, 2019. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/reconstruction-schools-and-education-during-reconstruction/.
13. 'The Story of John Brown, The Martyr - Blog.' The Henry Ford. Accessed May 18, 2019. https://www.thehenryford.org/explore/blog/the-story-of-john-brown-the-martyr.

Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play about the devastating effects of guilt. It is arguably the most prominent theme in the play of ‘Macbeth’, due to the way it seizes hold of the protagonists, and leeches from their innocence. It is presented through symbols and figures of imagination. Guilt galvanizes the protagonist’s actions, and drives them to their fatal fall.

Shakespeare presents guilt through Macbeth’s mental suffering, ‘a dagger of the mind’, ‘O full of scorpions is my mind’. The words ‘dagger’ and ‘scorpions’ have connotations of danger and fatality. Macbeth is warning himself subconsciously through hallucinations, demonstrating how guilt will bind him to sorrow. The use of repetition of the word “mind” suggests that guilt has taken root in him and is poisoning him from the inside out.

In addition, Shakespeare presents guilt through Macbeth’s relationship with sleep. He is no longer permitted to sleep, instead he has to bear weight of the sin through day and night. Shakespeare writes, ‘Still it cried, “sleep no more”, Macbeth shall sleep no more’. Sleep has been perceived as heaven, as a land far from danger or sin. He is no longer authorized over the threshold of consciousness, not permitted through the vast gates to heaven. He has subverted nature, gone against God’s word; therefore, now, he cannot rest. Through Macbeth’s deprivation of such a necessity, we see how guilt has seized him, and racked his body through and through.

Guilt is presented through reoccurring symbols and themes of the play. Guilt manifests objects and imagery associated with light, personifying the emotion. Shakespeare continuously mentions hands; moulding them into emblems of intent. Macbeth is burdened with ‘hangman’s hands’. This has connotations of intent, murder and guilt. Hangman’s hands are not noble, nor are they respectable. Macbeth has de-evolved from a valiant, brave man to one that kills to gain undeserved power. Another symbol is light and dark. Lady Macbeth cowers from dark, yet Macbeth summons it. Shakespeare writes, ‘Stars, hide your fires, Let not light see my black and deep desires’. Here, Macbeth demands that his sins be hidden from the heavens, or from any superior beings. The alliteration of ‘deep desires’ signifies the sincerity of his evil and, supposedly, uncharacteristically immoral thoughts. Later, however, Lady Macbeth cannot rest and walks in her sleep through a guilt-ridden conscience. She clasps onto a candle, holding the dark at bay. The contrast between Lady Macbeth shows the development of guilt, and how the roles almost swapped in Lady Macbeth becoming taken over by guilt.

In addition, Shakespeare presents guilt, and development of it, through the character of Lady Macbeth. Initially, she feels no remorse or guilt. In Act 2, scene 2 of Macbeth, Shakespeare writes, ‘My hands are of your colour, but I shame to wear a heart so white’. Lady Macbeth is unapologetically impenitent, advising Macbeth to be the same. She ensures Macbeth that only a little water will cleanse him of his sins, implying that what they have done is nothing to feel guilt or remorse over. However, in Act 5, Scene 1, of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth asks through her sleep, ‘Out damned spot, this shows that her sins have taken a toll on her and the guilt of her actions has struck. The use of plosives accentuates her desire to rid herself of sins.

In conclusion, guilt drives Macbeth and Lady Macbeth towards their descent to insanity. In Act 1, they are presented as unphased; however in Act 5 they have been leeched of their innocence. Shakespeare presents guilt to be the most powerful theme throughout Macbeth and much of their downfall is due to guilt.

References

1. Churchill, C. J. (2015). “Is That All There Is?”: Time, Guilt, and Melancholia in Sleep No More and Macbeth. International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies, 12(2), 161-174. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aps.1386)
2. Jackson, J. (2010). The Symmetry of Evil: An Examination of Guilt and Trust in William Shakespeare's Macbeth. (https://open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/undergraduateresearch/52966/items/1.0074554)
3. Colston, K. (2010). Macbeth and the Tragedy of Sin. Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture, 13(4), 60-95. (https://www.pdcnet.org/logos/content/logos_2010_0013_0004_0060_0095)
4. Peña Cervel, M. A. S. (2010). Macbeth revisited: A cognitive analysis. Metaphor and Symbol, 26(1), 1-22. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10926488.2011.535412)

Table of contents

1. Benefits of Fintech to Banks
2. Personalized Banking
3. Fraud Prevention
4. Conclusion
5. References

In the era of Millennials in which we are glued to our Smartphones, our daily lives and routines have changed radically, and we have less time for us. Consumers want immediacy, quick transactions by putting in no effort. In this context, the role of traditional banks has completely been herald by fintech. Fintech refers to the integration of technology into offerings by financial services companies in order to improve their use and delivery to consumers.

Earlier, the functions of banks were limited to maintaining deposits, making loans, and controlling the checkable deposits. People had to walk into the bank and stand in long queues, just to deposit money. Automatic teller machines were then introduced to give ease to customers. Similarly, moving money between accounts or paying someone usually required a trip to the bank or access to a card reader to make a transfer via online banking, but with payment processors like PayPal, it has become a one click job. To make it even more quick Tap and pay service was introduced. Customers simply wave or tap their contactless device over a POS device to make a payment. Australians made 325 million contactless payments in 2017, which is a 26% increase from 2016.

In addition to, mortgages were looked to be one of the most difficult banking functions due to its lengthy application processes and stringent regulation. FinTech mortgages have increased in popularity by digitizing the process, transforming it from a slow, paper-based process to faster, transparent, and simplified application process. E.g. Athena home loans, loans.com.au, funding pro.

However, the fintech industry boomed after 2008 global financial crisis. When financial giant Lehman Brothers abruptly filed for bankruptcy on 15th September 2008, the financial world was shaken. People were losing their jobs, families were losing their homes and most importantly to our story, everyone was losing trust in the institutions that were meant to offer financial support. The shift in consumer mentality created a demand that offered new players an opportunity to join the market and offer better, more competitive services. The new fintech services include third-party payments by non-bank digital providers, peer-to-peer lending, internet credit, including microlending, internet-based banking and insurance, digital wealth management, and credit-ratings.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is creating the single biggest technology revolution the world has ever seen. It refers to the development of machines or systems that can perform complex tasks normally considered to require ‘intelligence’ and thus thought to be the preserve of humans. It provides a faster, more accurate assessment of a potential borrower, at less cost, and accounts for a wider variety of factors, which leads to a better-informed, data-backed decision. It is also effective at preventing credit card fraud. This system analyse clients’ behaviour, location, and buying habits and trigger a security mechanism when something seems out of order and contradicts the established spending pattern. It also helps in risk management, trading, personalized banking, process automation, etc. Recently, Commonwealth Bank unveiled a chatbot that it says uses artificial intelligence to assist customers with more than 200 banking tasks. Called ‘Ceba’, the chatbot helps customers with tasks such as activating their card, checking the account balance, making payments, or getting cardless cash.

Blockchain can enable financial and other transactions to happen in seconds, not days, and drastically reduce infrastructure costs. It is an encrypted, secure protocol for creating trust between contracting or transacting parties without going through a central authority such as a central bank, government or another agency. Blockchain underpins cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, Ethereum, ripple and many initial coin offerings.

Cryptocurrencies use blockchain decentralised ledger technology (DLT) to let users make secure payments and store value without the need to use their name or go through a bank or a payments company like MasterCard or Visa.

THEY allow for peer-to-peer transactions without central clearinghouses, without central banks and without reference to a national money The dollar value of the top 10 biggest cryptocurrencies is around US$150 billion, while UBS (FINANCIAL SERVOICE PROVIDER) estimates that blockchain could add as much as $300bn to $400bn of annual economic value globally by 2027.

The rapid adoption of third-party payments was enabled by technology, the proliferation of e-commerce and social media. It acts as a digital wallet and is basically a substitute for a physical wallet. The Debit/Credit cards are linked to the digital wallet and we can transfer money into it. A well-known, early entrant to this arena is Alipay in China, which in 2004 launched e-payment options on the e-commerce platform owned by its parent company Alibaba. Since then, applications geared towards mobile payments have multiplied while their usage has increased dramatically. By one estimate, payments made through third-party processors reached over RMB 119 trillion (or roughly US$18 trillion) in 2016. Similarly, In Australia, 29% of people use services like PayPal.

Mobile banking apps are different from payment apps because it means basically doing transactions through one’s existing bank account. People can check their balance and, make and receive payments with just one click. Banks in Australia like Commonwealth, ANZ offer such services to their customers.

Banks are also planning to come out with apps people can use to withdraw from ATM’s instead of using cards. In Fusion’s view, some are also providing Biometric Security and the ‘Pays’ from Apple, Google and Samsung to truly meet their customers’ expectations. According to Roy Morgan research released in January, mobile banking is not only the most rapidly growing way to bank, it also has the highest levels of customer satisfaction (89.3%).

Crowdfunding is the use of small amounts of capital from many individuals to finance a new business venture. It makes use of the easy accessibility of vast networks of people through social media and crowdfunding websites to bring investors and entrepreneurs together, without any financial intermediary. Websites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo attract hundreds of thousands of people hoping to invest in the next big thing. This site has funded more than 160,000 projects, with more than $4.2 billion pledged across all Kickstarter projects.

Peer-to-peer lending (“P2P”) had also increased rapidly until recently. After global financial crisis, banks were hesitant to lend to small firms. Therefore, in order to eliminate middlemen, P2P platform was created which gather information, evaluate credit, facilitate information exchange and match borrowers and lenders. These platforms get their funding primarily from retail investors. Credit Karma and Kabbage are good examples of such Fintech companies. It is expected that the value of loans made through P2P lending platforms in Australia will surge to $22 billion and the total addressable market to grow to $87 billion over the next five years.

Cardless cash is a feature offered by some Australian banks which allows customers to withdraw cash from an ATM using their smartphone, instead of their debit card. This feature is a safe and convenient way to access cash for when we leave our wallet at home. The user get 24/7 access to cash and can withdraw up to $500 each day. Commonwealth bank and Westpac are one of these.

Benefits of Fintech to Banks

Paving the way for win- win partnership. Competition between banks and new entrants may give way to direct collaboration across the Fintech ecosystem. In such case, both parties should profit.From the bank’s perspective, fintech lacks proper IT security and regulatory certainty while fintech believe banks can be hard to work with due to differences In management and culture as well as differences in operational processes.

Traditional lending will become faster, accessible and cost effective.

Intelligent character recognition makes it possible to automate a variety of mundane, time-consuming tasks that used to take thousands of work hours and inflate payrolls. Employing robotic process automation for high-frequency repetitive tasks eliminates the room for human error and allows a financial institution to refocus workforce efforts on processes that require human involvement. Ernst & Young has reported a 50%-70% cost reduction for these kinds of tasks. A leading financial firm, JP Morgan Chase, has been successfully leveraging Robotic Process Automation (RPA) for a while now to perform tasks such as extracting data, comply with Know Your Customer regulations, and capture documents.

Small banks are willing to jump on the bandwagon of FinTech.

In the aftermath of the financial crisis, lots of local banks were left behind the rest of the competition. And it’s high time they took action to revive and found their place in the sun. Several US banks, Evolve Bank & Trust, Cross River, Sutton Bank, have established strong relationships with startups. While young companies reach out to their client base and gain regulatory protection, incumbents conquer the mobile banking app market.

Personalized Banking

In the banking sector, AI powers the smart chatbots that provide clients with comprehensive self-help solutions while reducing the call-centers’ workload. Voice-controlled virtual (htt) assistants powered by smart tech like Amazon’s Alexa are also gaining traction fast, which is no surprise: boasting a self-education feature, they get smarter every day, so you should expect tremendous improvements here. Both tools can check balances, schedule payments, look up account activity and more.

Fraud Prevention

AI is especially effective at preventing credit card fraud, which has been growing exponentially in recent years due to the increase of e-commerce and online transactions. Fraud detection systems analyze clients’ behavior, location, and buying habits and trigger a security mechanism when something seems out of order and contradicts the established spending pattern.

Costs with all the new technology that has fueled the growth of today's diverse FinTech sector, one common problem has also arisen – developers and companies are facing severe cybersecurity issues, including threats that could lead to massive breaches that affect millions of customers worldwide.

Back in July 2018, Equifax reported that over 143 million accounts were compromised in a massive data breach, in which hackers stole names, social security numbers, telephone numbers, and other vital information from account holders.

Recently, Metro Bank has become a victim of a new type of cyber attack targeting the codes sent via text messages to customers to verify transactions.

The major threat that traditional banks are facing is stealing their customers and eating profits. Half of US consumers, 46 percent, already have an account with a FinTech provider. “The message from banking customers is clear: they want a better experience powered by the latest technologies and they don’t really care who is delivering it,” said Peter Olynick, senior practice lead of retail banking for NTT DATA Consulting, Inc. “Banks will lose customers and revenues because they can’t adapt to today’s changing market. And they can’t adapt if they don’t modernize their core deposit systems.”

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Conclusion

The evolution of the digital technology has significantly changed the world in past decades. By utilising the technology advancement, Fintech has facilitated various financial services like crowdfunding, blockchain, artificial intelligence, with better user experience and lower cost. Due to lack of trust after global financial crisis, it has evidently resulted in significant challenges for traditional banking system. In order to coexist with Fintech, they need to be flexible and rapidly adapting the new technology. However, despite all the benefits, cyber attack is still a threat and therefore, these intermediaries are spending heaps on data integration.

References

1. Contactless Payments: Pros & Cons of Tap-and-Go for Business. (2019). Retrieved 7 October 2019, from https://www.bambora.com/en/au/news/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-contactless-payments-for-businesses/(2019). Retrieved 7 October 2019, from https://www.pwc.com/jg/en/publications/pwc-global-fintech-report-17.3.17-final.pdf
2. Financial Banking Crisis 2008 - Detailed Overview. (2019). Retrieved 7 October 2019, from https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/financial-banking-crisis-2008-overview
3. Blockchain and cryptocurrencies herald the demise of traditional banking. (2019). Retrieved 7 October 2019, from https://www.thenational.ae/business/banking/blockchain-and-cryptocurrencies-herald-the-demise-of-traditional-banking-1.668122
4. Everywhere, S., Started, G., shop, searches, offline, & Instagram et al. (2019). What is Google Wallet and what does it mean for ecommerce?. Retrieved 7 October 2019, from https://www.bigcommerce.com.au/ecommerce-answers/what-google-wallet-and-what-does-it-mean-ecommerce/
5. Crowdfunding Definition. (2019). Retrieved 7 October 2019, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/crowdfunding.asp
6. The dramatic rise and fall of online P2P lending in China – TechCrunch. (2019). Retrieved 7 October 2019, from https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/01/the-dramatic-rise-and-fall-of-online-p2p-lending-in-china/
7. Cardless Cash - CommBank. (2019). Retrieved 7 October 2019, from https://www.commbank.com.au/digital-banking/cardless-cash.html
8. Customers in the spotlight: How FinTech is reshaping banking. (2019). Retrieved 7 October 2019, from https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/financial-services/publications/fintech-is-reshaping-banking.html
9. Bernal, N. (2019). Metro Bank hit by cyber attack used to empty customer accounts. Retrieved 7 October 2019, from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2019/02/01/metro-bank-hit-cyber-attack-used-empty-customer-accounts/
10. Size, F., Size, F., & WIRE, B. (2019). The FinTech Threat is Real: 28 Million Households are Ready to Move to a More Innovative Bank. Retrieved 7 October 2019, from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160823005220/en/FinTech-Threat-Real-28-Million-Households-Ready

After it’s foundation in 1970, Patagonia has rapidly become one of the leading brands in the clothing sector, especially in the design of outdoor clothing and gear for the silent sports like climbing, surfing, skiing and snowboarding, fly fishing and trail running. However, the great success of Patagonia is not only linked to the product itself, but also to the culture of the company, characterized by the great attention on environmental, moral, ethical and philosophical causes. At the same time, the company proposes itself as a source of inspiration for other brands, a model to be followed. All these aspects identify the goal of the company, justifying its reason for being, and are clearly expressed in the mission statement: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis”.

Moreover, one of the main drivers of the success of Patagonia is directly connected with its employees, a passionate, engaged, committed and satisfied workforce. In 2018, in a resource of Fortune’s partner, Great Place to Work, the 90% of the respondents emphasized the great level of job satisfaction, underlying the great atmosphere (97%), the pride (97%), the challenges (93%) and the great communication (92%). The high level of employee satisfaction is also due to the Human Resource Management of Patagonia, which at the same time provides policies and activities that help the company to achieve the strategic goals and develop and retain a committed talent pool. So, in the following paragraph I will present some of the most important HR policies of the company:

Let my people surf is a sort of “mantra” and represents the essence of Yvon Chouinard. Strongly desired by the CEO of the company, let my people surf enables employees to have a flexible time schedule, allowing them to take a break from their job during the day in order to go surfing, climbing, skiing or doing other sport. In this way they have the possibility to test the products that they are developing, understanding the strengths, the weaknesses and the areas of improvement and optimizing their future job. In addition, it also allows them to use this time to improve their education or to stay with child or take them to play sport. Based on trust and fair, let my people surf aims at increasing the work-life balance of the employees and creating a perfect work-life fit. However, work-life balance is not only beneficial for the employees, but also for the employer. In fact, according to Sussanna Shagvaliyeva and Rashad Yazdanifard (2014), it improves work satisfaction of employees, in terms of motivation, engagement and commitment, but also the overall life satisfaction; while from the employer perspective the benefits are in terms of working performances, retention and lower absenteeism rates, that lead to an improvement in productivity and profitability of the company.

Patagonia pays a great attention to work-life fit, providing to its employees a huge choice of free facilities: skateboards, yoga, hiking trails, field trip, ski trip, fly fishing, rock climbing, scooters, weekly 30-min lunchtime bike ride, organic food & café and etc. All these facilities helps employees to find their work-life balance, but the overriding goal as said in the Wall Street Journal is to create: “a more fulfilling, happier workplace that attracts and retains better workers, who in turn design superior product and develop smarter strategies”. In fact, a satisfied worker is more productive, more engage, more committed, more involved, more attached to the organization and at the end its performances are better.

The Environmental Internship Program represents a great opportunity for employees at Patagonia; in fact, they have the possibility to have 60 days with salary paid (full-pay) to work on environmental project they are passionate about, learning new skills and supporting causes in which they belief. The only requirement is coming back and doing a report in order to present the activity that have been done on the ground and allowing the company being aware of the contemporary environmental issues. The enviro-internship program is both a source of inspiration for the company and a signal that Patagonia sends to its workforce: “we believe in you and in the causes you care about”. This kind of approach is really successful because the company pampers employee, they fill that what they are doing is right, increasing their commitment and attachment to the organization, but also getting the new ideas for new environmental missions. 1% for the planet.

Since 1985, Patagonia has introduced the so-called “Earth Tax”, an environmental policy through which the company every year donates the 1% of the sales or the 10% of the pre-tax profit for environmental grassroots activities worldwide. The main idea is that the larger they get, the more they pollute, so the 1% for the planet is a method to give something backs to the Earth. This way, Patagonia each year divides its 1% to each local location (retail store, shops and etc. ) and give them their own budget for grassroots activities in their local area. The environmental concern is a core value at Patagonia, as the environmental attitude of its workforce; 1% of the planet is something in which employees believes and in what they identify themselves, they know that in their own way they are making the difference. In fact, workers play an important role in the decision-making process, being an active part of the Grants Councils, which decides on various environmental grants. This is one of the keys that tie this program into job satisfaction, especially in a higher level of involvement.

“Work and family don’t have to be separate, they can be one on the same. ” (Michael Crooke – Ex CEO) Introduced in 1985, Patagonia has been one of the first enterprises to introduce childcare facilities at work, allowing the workforce to take child in an on-site structure at Ventura headquarters. Considered a fundamental part of the campus, the child development centre allow the workforce to be fully committed on what they are doing, increasing the working performances and job satisfaction. Particularly, many scholar found that employees using childcare centres or other family care programs report better level of commitment to the organization. Thompson, Beauvais and Lyness (1999) pointed out that employees’ receiving work-family benefits are more committed and less likely to leave the organization. This last finding is also confirmed by the CEO Rose Marcario that maintained: “the turnover rate for parents who have children in the program has run 25% less than for our general employee population”.

In addition to the child development centre, Patagonia offers other family care programs like:

• Childcare reimbursement during business travel
• Lactation room(s)
• Paid sick leave to care for a child or relative.

Patagonia provides also paid leaves, which for mothers are 4 moths (3 moths in case of adoptive mothers), while for fathers are equal to three paid moths. This is one of the more successful policies, in fact normally the turnover rates of mothers after childbirth tend to be very high, while at Patagonia in the last five years the return rate at work after maternity was 100%.

In conclusion, Patagonia provides very successful family related policy that increase job satisfaction, working performances and commitment of employees, allowing the company to increase the retention rate.

Zappos is an online shoe retailer with a focus on fast delivery, great quality and providing the customers with the best possible value. Zappos focuses on customer service, but this also means that they care a lot about their own employees. Their hiring assessment isn’t based on the educational background, but whether are you a good fit for the company. Their culture is the most important thing, and they strive at making their employees feel like home as well as surrounded by family. It’s not about working in an environment that just fun or relaxing, it’s about the company that listens closely to their employee’s wishes and concerns. Before they’ve reached the level of offering to consult to other companies, Zappos had to evolve internally. Their employee development and training became one of their core values which they have pursued throughout the years. ZapposU became a concept which goal was to ensure the development of employee’s soft skills and leader attributes. Only little did they know that their people will be thrilled with the idea, soon more classes followed.

As the company grew, they’ve decided to pursue the education of their employees by adding more classes. It’s not only individuals, but even teams can also apply for team-building training. This whole idea was in motion because Zappos wanted to create this value internally. How come? Zappos didn’t want to use people from the outside to come in and train their employees for their own company, instead, they’ve put in a lot of hard work and made an incredible program. The reason they went for such an idea is a belief that no one knows their employees better than they do. The courses must be compatible with the company’s culture in order to be carried out. Even though the ratings of people attending have gone down, Zappos still believes that there’s still room for development and learning. Even though there are some mandatory training classes, the company wants their employees to see it as a new experience of learning and not just another thing you have to do.

The company offers an online portal that an employee can excess any time he/she likes to find the information about the content or the training. Zappos firmly believes that if you (as a company) devote yourself to your employees, their feelings, education, and well-being, not only you will thrive, but your employees will be there to catch you when you fall. When I was researching about Zappos, I found it quite different from other company cultures I’ve seen. They all have the same idea, to put your employees first, but rarely do they implement the strategy well. One of the things that caught my attention is the fact that they do not hire based on your educational background. It’s amazing that you can start at the bottom and end up in a high position due to the training and development program in the company. Not only do their employees have a sense of belonging, but they also know that there’s a bright future waiting for them if they work hard for it and show that they are worth it. This is a huge motivation not only to people who haven’t finished some higher degree of education but also to students who don’t want to work in the field of their education line. Being one of those people, I can see why someone would be enthusiastic about this kind of workplace. Zappos even has meetings with managers of certain departments to see with what the employees are coping and how to make it better.

The thing that is making them one of the top-rated companies to work for is a sense of belonging, what I’ve mentioned before. Let me elaborate; people who work for companies that listen, exceed in everything. By everything, I mean working relationship, productivity, and workload. 2018 is the year where workers require six working hours to do the job well, where pets make them feel comfortable at work, and where people around you are one of the reasons why you want to stay at your current position. In my opinion, Zappos recognized the values that are not only appreciated, but considered important, and implemented them in their working culture. Their employees can work at the desk that’s entirely their own making, have breaks where they play video games, and where you’re hired since your co-workers want to drink beer with you after work.

The company recognized how beneficial these training can be, that’s why they’ve created a plan to ease up other’s lives. Zappos made four different programs where they help other companies, departments, people to exceed in their field of work and have a happy workforce. They believe that the key is inside the company, and you just have to find a way to lock yourself out, so they’ve decided to help.

They are offering a three-day culture camp where companies learn how to shape their companies and create your own culture when owning one. It’s not only important to create values, but you also have to bring those values into everyday life in your company in order to create your culture. A perfect candidate means a perfect fit; they cover the topics of hiring and training a new candidate. Customer service is one of the most important things in Zappos company, it may not be the case of others, but they will certainly learn how to recognize what is. Employees are the gems of the company, managers must recognize the potential benefits, threats, brilliant ideas, and the fact that your people have to be your number one. Zappos also creates value by bringing others (participants) to dinners, fun meetings, events.

Sometimes businesses need a reminder of what needs to be valued or looked for inside your company. Zappos offers their keynote speakers for such events in order to help other companies find their own culture, value, and philosophy by sharing their own. Another great thing is that the companies will get experienced speakers and presentation topics that can be customized by your preferences.

In this program, Zappos opens their world of customer services and its importance to others. They organize live phone calls with customers, how WOW leads them to word of mouth marketing, provide you with tips on quality assurance, and teach you how important it is to find your own path. Values are an important part of any company and Zappos helps you to find them and implement them into your services. Companies can also experience how training for customer services look like and how you can help the customer and your business with empathy and connection. Zappos also includes Q&A sessions and fun was of learning and advising through breakfast and lunch.

With different tour routes, you’ll be able to meet the companies culture and see how a “weird” kind of a company looks like from the inside and out. This was made to help businesses see how their culture could look like and that it wouldn’t affect them in a bad way, but quite the opposite. They will be able to see how a company functions if all their employees are satisfied and happy, which is a huge ambition goal to most of the companies. It’s not the concept that you have to copy, it’s the idea. The reason behind these kinds of tours is that companies realize what they need to do in order to be successful internally, like Zappos. You could have guitars, games, ping pong tables, parties in the open, or you could have yoga sessions or cats and dogs, it's a smile on people’s faces that matters.

They are slowly outperforming other companies in productivity and working cultures. They are slowly, year by year, taking a higher number on the ranking list of most wanted places to work. Why is that? They believe in their people, and their employees believe in the company. If you can be 100% yourself at work and get appreciated, you will never want to leave your job. Zappos succeeded in creating such a value and a brilliant company culture that could be an example to every other small or big company. They are treating their customers with the best care because they have the best people who are doing so. Zappos is creating, in my opinion, one of the most difficult cultures to follow up on when it comes to the satisfaction of their employees. It’s funny how a company whose brand isn’t that famous positions itself amongst the most known companies in the world only by implementing a culture that everyone desires. This semester is one of the hardest ones I have encountered. We have a lot of homework, projects, and difficult exams.

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To be honest, for this course there’s a lot of work, but I a haven’t regretted or found it difficult to write the assignments for one second. All the assignments make sense, are beneficial, and relevant. The workload from the overall point of view is enormous, but we are seniors and we must manage. My only concern is the homework and projects during the exam week or the weekend before exam week. We can do the projects, but it’s hard to start studying if you have 5 due dates that you just couldn’t do before. I’m not saying we’re doing the task last minute, but we just don’t have the time to write all five projects and then start studying. I just have to manage my time a little bit better and then everything will fall back into its place.