My Book

You love time travel?  You love sci-fi? Teen adventure?  Then this Book is for you! My book got to the #15 in Amazon Bestselling List for Time Travel ebook. If you find my blog helpful please support my book: "Dillen Smith: The Knighthood" at Amazon.com. Please click on the link to my new book.

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Here are some excerpts to my book:

The Knighthood of Dillen
By G.C. Sheys

Chapter 1.  The Dream

So far Dillen Smith’s thirteen years of existence could be described largely as uneventful, even boring.  His daily routine consisted of going to school and coming home.  No wild parties.  No date nights.

His idea of fun was playing with his pets in the yard.

On the outside, Dillen looked like a typical thirteen-year-old. He was tall about 5’8” and lanky.  Everyday, he felt like he was growing although that could not be true because his height remained the same.  He acted a bit clumsy and awkward.  The awkwardness he attributed to his growing hormones.

His dark brown, short hair made him looked younger than thirteen years   He enjoyed playing ball games and computer games, just like any teen  But for the most part, he preferred to be alone and play with his pets- a ferret named Syber and a Guinea pig named Blossom.

His parents – Chris and Linda Smith – were supportive of his endeavors, which basically consisted of nothing since computer games and pet sitting (two of his favorite activities) were not exactly great accomplishments.

But his mom, Linda, always encouraged him to do something phenomenal. She told him to think outside the box.  Be his best self.  Conquer the mountains – whatever that meant.

Linda Smith grew up to be the family beauty.  She was used to being the center of everyone's attention. It was at thirteen, after all, that Linda started joining beauty pageants.  In her youth, she
ruled the catwalk.  With her statuesque and thin frame, she caught the eyes of numerous talent scouts. She was a crowned beauty at a young age.  You could say that she was a social success.

Unfortunately, Dillen did not follow in Linda’s footsteps.  Nor did he inherit her social graces.  He was more like his dad – socially awkward and shy.

At forty-five, Linda still had her looks.  She was tall, slim and sported a wavy blonde hair.  Her hair used to be dark brown but she dyed it blonde.  She was a homemaker.  She had not worked since the day she got married.  She found working on top of doing the household chores too stressful.  And when she had Dillen, the more the chores stressed her.

Fortunately, her husband, Chris was moneyed.  Chris was the same age as Linda.  He did not grow up rich.  But he was a computer genius.  He could read and write computer languages like they were plain English.  He got paid huge money for his skills. That enabled him to give his family a
comfortable lifestyle.

Chris and Linda met when Chris was tapped by the pageant committee to do some computer works for them.  The pageant needed a computer to be set up on stage to provide the backdrop for the gown and swimsuit competition. Chris, being a popular programmer, was the natural choice for the job.
Chris liked Linda from the get-go.  They had been inseparable ever since.

It was an odd pairing – a computer geek and a pageant winner.  People said they had nothing in common.  That their marriage would last, at most, a year.  But it had been fourteen years and their marriage was still going strong.

Dillen was proud of his parents. But his mom did not seem to reciprocate his feelings. Linda may not say much but Dillen could sense her disapproval of his reticent lifestyle.   She thought he should be a go-getter surrounded by real people not pets.  Her expectations on how Dillen should live his life clashed with his.

It was at his mom’s constant prodding to be somebody at the social scene that Dillen found himself imagining to be a knight, a hero or even an actor to make up for his feelings of inadequacy.  He wanted to be a knight because there was something dramatic about being one. Maybe because they ride a horse through the sunset.

A hero was, of course, hailed by everyone.  He thought it might be cool to be so admired.  Or maybe, he could be a famous actor adored by many.
Any one but himself because he thought he fell short of his mom’s grand expectations.
Dillen sighed.  If he could just do one spectacular thing, maybe his mom would be proud of him.  Sadly, he was just an ordinary boy.  Spectacular things did not happen to ordinary boys like him.
Dillen's introversion made Linda worried. And she had no qualms talking about it to her husband.

Dillen accidentally overheard his parents talked about him one day, as they watched television in the living room.  They didn't realize that he could hear them when he opened his bedroom door on the second floor.  

"Do you think our son has health problems we are not aware of?" His mom asked. 

 
"He's perfect. There's nothing wrong with our boy,”  his dad, Chris, assured his mom. 
 
Linda seemed unsatisfied with Chris’ answer, "it’s not what the teachers said.  They said he’s aloof, withdrawn, and unsociable.  He does not talk to people, just pets.”

“I don't see anything wrong with that.”

“Shy people do not reach their fullest potential.  That's what's wrong with that,” she lamented.
Unlike Linda, Chris could not see what the big deal was.  Shy or not, Dillen was perfect the way he was. Besides, he didn't want a son who was a social butterfly. "Maybe he's just an introvert,” he muttered a reply.
 
"He needs to get out of his shell.  In this case, get out of his room and hang out with boys or girls his age,” Linda said.

 "He'll outgrow this stage.  You'll see,” Chris said.  Chris had been an introvert all his life.  He turned out good despite being shy and withdrawn.  He had no doubt Dillen would too.

 
"I hope so." His mom said. She seemed to stifle a sob. 
 
"Why are you crying?”  Chris asked.  He thought his wife overreacted.
 
“I'm just worried for our son. He is our only son, you know.”
 
“There. There.  Don't worry about it.  He will turn out fine.  Everything will be alright,” he heard his dad said.
 
“We should have bought him those toy robots instead of letting him get pets.  Now, he's talking to the ferret and Guinea pig like they're real people.” Then as an afterthought, Linda asked, “Maybe we should get rid of those pets?" 
 
"The pets are his friends. Getting rid of them might make him depressed. Is that what you want?" 
 
"It might force him out of his shell.”
“That's not the way to do it.  It might make him rebellious.  Give him time. I'm sure Dillen will come around.”

Linda sighed. “I just hope this phase will be over soon." 
 
"It will be.  It will be,”  he heard his dad said repeatedly as if he too tried to convince himself to stay positive. 

When Dillen came out of his room, he pretended not to have heard the conversation between his parents.  He felt bad that he made them worry.  But he felt happy being himself. He could not be anyone but himself.   He did not see any problem with being an introvert either.
 
"Do you want to invite your friends for a sleepover?"  His mom asked when she saw him.   
 
'What friend?' Dillen thought.  “Not this time mom.  Maybe later,”  Dillen would say no each time. 

Despite Linda’s misgivings about his introversion, Dillen loved his uncomplicated life.  He lived simply.  No dramas. No adventures. No surprises.  He preferred it that way.

Well, it was mostly like that until, one day, he experienced something out of the ordinary. Dillen's peaceful existence, all of a sudden, went topsy-turvy.  He didn't realize it then but that day heralded a new beginning.  A world of adventure unknowingly opened up to him. In hindsight, he should have paid attention to the clues.  But he was too preoccupied with his troubles to notice them.

It all began with a weird dream. The first time he dreamt it, he thought he had gone crazy.  The details were a bit fuzzy since he had a hard time recalling them but he could remember a voice waking him up in the middle of the night.

“Dillen, wake up! Wake up!” a man’s voice could be heard pleading him.  He had been sleeping comfortably in his bed for several hours when the voice woke him up.

Dillen did not welcome this intrusion.  He hated to be woken up from deep slumber.  One of the most precious things he treasured in life was his sleep.  A man, especially a growing one, needed his sleep.  But the stranger seemed in need of help. He could not ignore a person in need no matter how much his body screamed for sleep.

He forced himself to wake up, if only to please the stranger.  He struggled to open his eyes. At first, he felt disoriented.  He couldn't remember where he was.  It was dark.  The only light he saw was from a distant street light.  It took several seconds to get used to the darkness. Then, it dawned on him that he was in his bedroom.

Dillen could see the man stood at the center of his room.  But the vision was not so clear.  Largely, because he was still sleepy and the room was dim.

He felt scared but sleepiness overtook the fear.  Also, he was curious to see the person who woke him up.  He wondered what the man was doing in his room.  He could not be a thief.  A thief would not wake up a homeowner.  But he could be wrong.  “Who are you?” Dillen mustered the courage to ask.
He could see that the man was dressed in metal gear from head to toe.  He looked like one of those horse-riding Knights from the Medieval.  His face was not covered by the metal gear. Dillen could see parts of his face illuminated by the street light, enough to give him an idea of how he looked like.
“I'm a knight.  I come from the past.  We need you Dillen.  Please help us,” the man pleaded.
 Dillen could hear the urgency in his voice.

“But I am not from the past.  I'm right here in the present,” he mumbled an incoherent reply. The drowsiness made him sound more like a drunk.  He struggled to keep his eyes open. But all his body wanted to do was fall back to sleep.  The bed just felt so inviting and comfy.

“You can go back to the past, Dillen.  You have the means to do so. All you have to do is accept the offer.  Please help us.”  With that, the voice faded away and the man vanished.

Dillen did not have a chance to ask questions.  He wa fast asleep.  But seconds later, he stirred wide awake.  He could not recall exactly what had transpired but he could remember seeing a man in his room just a minute ago. Instead, he found himself staring blankly at the wall.

‘Did he just dream all that…again?’ he wondered.

He had dreamt the same dream for ten nights in a row now. He did not know the guy. He had no idea why the man kept showing up in his dream.

At first, he shrugged it off as just an ordinary dream.  Maybe, it was a way for his tired body to cope.  But this had went on for far too long for him to ignore.  Besides, it was creepy!  The man did not seem evil but he did not welcome the intrusion night after night.

Dillen was resolved to put a stop to this dream.  He needed to act on it.  Fortunately, the next day was a Saturday.  There were no classes. He could talk to his mom about the recurring dream. Perhaps, she could help him.

He glanced at the clock on the side table.  It was ten minutes to two in the morning.  Too early to get up.  Dillen went back to sleep. He was dead to the world in no time.


The next day, he talked to his mom about the recurring dream that kept him awake at night.
 “The guy looks like someone from the olden times, he wakes me up in the middle of my sleep every night.  He has done this for ten nights in a row now,” he complained.

 “Does he look familiar to you?” his mom asked.
“No, I never saw him before.”
“That sounds creepy! Does he scare you?”
“Actually no.  He seemed like a nice person.”
“What did he say to you?”
“He wants me to go back to the past to help him.”
“The past? It is not possible to go back to the past. It does not make sense at all. Well, dreams don't make sense after all.”
“I wonder what the dream meant?”
“Next time, why won't you ask him how you could go back to the past and help him? Maybe that will answer your question on its meaning.”
“I get so groggy, I often forget what to ask.”
“Maybe your subconscious mind is telling you something. Or, the message holds some clues to your past life or your future.”
“What clues?”
“I don't know son.”
“I have no idea what the dream meant. I just want it to stop.”
“We should go see a therapist next week. He will have much better idea on how to interpret your dream.”
“Will the dream stop if I see a therapist?”
“Maybe so.  At least, the therapist can tell you how to.”
“Okay.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I will go check on you several times tonight.  Maybe if you have company, he won't show up.”

Dillen nodded.  “Maybe so.  I just hope he won't show up tonight. It's freaking me out.”
“If he will, call me.”

“I will. Thanks mom.”

“Anything for you, son.  Don't worry about it.  It's just a dream.  If he meant to harm you, he would have done so ten days ago. We'll figure out a way to make it stop.”

Dillen heaved a sigh of relief.  Indeed, if he was a bad person, he would have harmed him since day one. “Thanks mom.”

“Why won't you set the table?  Lunch will be served soon.” Linda said, “ and oh, before I forget, could you please bring this green bean casserole and pecan pie to our neighbor, Mr. Ridley?  He loves green beans and the pie  I'm sure he will love both dishes.”

Mr. Bach Ridley was their seventy-nine year old, widower neighbor who lived alone in his house.  Dillen's mom would sometimes give him food. Perhaps, to cheer him up because he seemed so solitary. They had been neighbors since Dillen could remember. 

Mr. Ridley often saw Dillen when he would leave for school. Or, when he got home from school.  The old man had a habit of sitting by the porch each afternoon until the sun sets.  He did not talk a lot. He liked to be by himself, much like Dillen. Mr. Ridley would wave his hand at him every time he walked past his house. That was largely the extent of their interaction. Despite Mr. Ridley’s aloofness, Dillen grew fond of him. 

Being next door neighbors, Mr.  Ridley was invited to every single one of Smiths' Thanksgiving and Christmas parties.  If he could not show up for some reason like an illness, Linda would ask Dillen to bring him some food.

During Thanksgiving, Dillen would bring a huge slice of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, meatloaf, cheesecake and his favorite, sweet yams.  On Christmas, he would get a slice of ham, cornbread, potato salad, baked beans and chocolate cake.

Dillen remembered the dishes he brought because he helped prepare those foods. Also, they prepared the same foods year after year for each occasion.  Which was a good thing because he only ate some of those dishes on those occasions.  It made him look forward to those days.

Dillen went to Mr. Ridley's house and knocked on the door.  He brought the casserole and pie with him.

“Who is it?”  Mr. Ridley asked.
“It's Dillen! Mom asks me to bring you some food.”
“Come in Dillen.”
When Dillen stepped inside the house, he saw Mr. Ridley sitting on the dining table, all by himself.  He had a loaf of bread, a stick of melting butter and a cup of dark coffee on the table in front of him.  “You're just in time for my lunch,” Mr. Ridley said.

Lunch didn't seem much for Mr. Ridley.  Dillen was glad he brought him some real food.  The old man needed proper nourishment especially at his age.

Dillen laid the food on the table. “Mom knows you love green beans.”  The bean casserole was in a small, rectangle-shaped, disposable silver serving dish.  The pecan pie was in a small, round-shaped, disposable silver dish. It was a lot of food for one person. Mr. Ridley would probably eat the food for a day or two.

“And you bring pecan pie too.  This is one of my favorites.”  Mr. Ridley declared.  “These are a lot of food son.  Please tell your mom thank you.  I truly appreciate her generosity.  And thank you too for bringing the food to me.”
“No problem at all. Mom loves to cook and share her food to you.”
“She's a good woman. She looks after me like I'm her dad.”
“She does look up to you like a father.  And we are happy to help.  You need all the help you can get.”
“Do you have grandparents?”  Mr. Ridley asked.
“I do but they live so far away. I barely see them except on special occasions.”
“I won't mind if you call me grandpa.  And it does get hard around here since I'm alone.” Mr. Ridley said as he glanced at the bread and coffee on the table. “I meant to cook something for lunch but my gout bothers me.”
“Don't you have children or grandchildren?”
“I do.  But, like you, they live far from me.  They have their own families now too. They're too busy to come and see me.”
“If you need help Mr. Ridley, you can always count on me.”
“Nah, it's ok. I can manage.  I'll be fine.”
“I don't want you to think that you're a bother.  You will never be a bother. I'll be glad to help.”
“Thank you Dillen.  You're a good boy, son. Your parents are lucky to have you.”
“Thank you for the compliment.  I'd better get going now.  Mom will serve lunch soon.”
“Thank you Dillen.”
“You're welcome.” As Dillen turned to go, he accidentally brushed off one of the framed pictures on top of Mr. Ridley's table.  The picture frame fell to the floor.
“Oops.  I didn't mean to do that.  I'm sorry.  I'm so clumsy,” Dillen apologized.
Good thing the picture frame did not break.
Dillen stooped down to pick it up.  When he looked at the picture on the frame, he had the surprise of his life.  His heart skipped a beat.  The man on the picture was the same man who appeared in his dreams for ten nights now!  What were the odds that he would find him in Mr. Ridley's house?
“Mr. Ridley, can I ask you something?” Dillen asked as he picked up the framed picture and stood up.
“Yes of course.  What is it?”
“This man in the picture.  Do you know who he is?”
“He is my friend.  Someone I know from the past. Why do you ask?”
“He appears in my dream for ten nights in a row now. Could you please tell me his name? Maybe it will help solve the mystery.
“His name is Artos.  I haven't seen him for years.  I was fifteen years old when I last saw him.  I kept that picture as a souvenir.”
“Do you know where I can find him? Or, at least, contact him?”
“No. The last time I saw him I was in Boston at that time. I never talked to him after that.”
“Is there a way that you can contact him?”
“No.  I can't.”
“Do you know his last name? I can search his contact details online.”
“Unfortunately, I don't know his last name.”
Dillen sighed.  All he got was a name.  There were so many Artos all over the world.  How would he find him? “I've been wondering about this dream and the guy.  I don't know what to make of it,” he confessed.
“What do you see in your dream?”
“This guy is asking me for help.  He said he's from the past.  Whatever does that mean?”
“He could be in trouble. And, he literally needs your help.  That could be a possibility.”
“But how can I help him? I don't even know who or where he is.”
“He will manifest in due time.”
“Do you think so?”
“He will. Just be patient,” Mr. Ridley seemed so confident.
“I hope so.”
“Let me know if you dream of him again tonight.”
“I will.” Dillen replied, “I’d better get going.  Mom is waiting for me.”

During lunch, his mom asked him questions but Dillen's mind was on the picture. Artos – the guy’s name.  He thought of the name over and over. He needed to find out more about this guy.

“Are you alright son?” Linda asked.
“Yes just wondering about my dream.”
“Just let me know if he shows up again tonight.”
“I will.”
After lunch, Dillen headed to his room.  He used his tablet to search for “Artos”online.  The search produced numerous results.  He clicked on the images to see if they resembled the man in his dreams.
The search was not successful. Dillen did another search.  This time he keyed in the words “Artos knight” mainly because the man looked like a knight.  The search results showed images of various men.  He kept searching through the images until he stumbled on a knight who looked similar to Mr. Ridley's friend, Artos.

The result showed an image of a knight who looked like the man in his dream.  According to the search results, the man was the great grandson of King Arthur of the Knights of the Round Table.  What made it so surprising was his birthdate.  He was born in the 1800’s.  That would make him more than three centuries old!  It could not possibly be the same Artos whom Mr. Ridley befriended.  Or, the one who appeared in his dreams. He could not be three hundred years old.
Dillen got confused more than ever.  Why would a three hundred-year-old man pay him a visit?
He could not find immediate answers to his questions.  Perhaps, his dream meant nothing.  Maybe, if he would forget about it, the guy would not come back.

That night, the dream that Dillen dreaded didn't recur.  Surprisingly, the next day on a Sunday night, he didn't dream of Artos too. He happily reported to his mom that the dreams stopped. He also told Mr. Ridley on Monday, before he left for school, that the dream didn't recur.

“Good for you.” Mr. Ridley said.
“I think talking about the dream helps put a stop to it. I'm glad it's over. I got scared seeing the same dream again and again.”
“It could be a sign Dillen.”
“A sign?”
“Of something bigger.  That you're meant to do something big in the future.”
“What could that be?”
“I think we will find out soon enough.”
Mr. Ridley's words puzzled Dillen.  But he didn't give much thought to them as he needed to hurry for school.

A World Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester

A World Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester is a fascinating tale detailing the Middle Ages. It talks about the painful transition of the Medieval to the Renaissance.

A World Lit Only By Fire by William Manchester paints a clear portrait of an era that spans the Medieval & the Renaissance or the Middle Ages. William Manchester was able to craft a woven tale of a civilization undergoing a painful transition, teetering on the cusps in its quest for grandeur and the eventual realization of the dream. The Medieval allows us to savor exquisite tales of chivalrous knights at the same time exposed us to the grim barbaric laws during the times such as trial by ordeal.

The Middle Ages

The Middle Ages despite being depicted as a brutal period as embodied by the Medieval offered a number of redeeming qualities as attested by the heroic accomplishments of the people in the era paving the way for the great age of Renaissance. Thus proving, nobility knows no age. In Renaissance we saw the rise and huge concentration of talented poets, philosophers, painters, artists and reformers coupled with the most astonishing villains.

“History is not a random sequence of unrelated events. Everything affects and is affected by everything else.” Nowhere is this truer than in the Medieval. The book is set towards the end of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance roughly from 400 -1500 AD. Europe was plunged in utter chaos
towards the end of the Medieval Age up to the Renaissance. The Greco-Roman Empire though was highly prominent during that time.

Conflicts in the Medieval

Christianity was at the core of the conflict because of the wrongful interpretation of the Christian dogmas by people in authority such as popes and kings. The aristocracy was characterized as flawed, greedy, incestuous and other negative depictions. Most people particularly those belonging to the lower class were ignorant, very poor, unhealthy even savage.

Warlords attacked each other to increase their lands. And if that was not enough, execution was constantly implemented and death for those executed did not come swiftly. Burning at the stake, slash, beheadings and other gory and extreme measures were adopted. Martin Luther, Leonardo da Vinci, Nicolus Copernicus, Sir Thomas Moore, Erasmus were some of the elite thinkers during the
time who all met untimely and gruesome death such as murder or assassinations.

Based largely on his research, Manchester was able to compile a detailed, information-rich book that plunges the readers into the medieval mind-set. The broad span of the Dark Ages to the dawn of the Renaissance which is the setting of the book provided a varied and riveting tale to the avid reader.

Manchester delineates the age when invisible spirits ruled the air, when tolerance was viewed as treachery and “a mafia of profane popes desecrated Christianity.' It does not only delve on the tough lives of ordinary people, Manchester, a Wesleyan professor of history, was able to depict the lives of great people as well whose voices still echoed to this day. Leonardo, Machiavelli, Lucrezia Borgia, Erasmus, Luther, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn fill the pages of the book.

He described Martin Luther as the “the most anal of theologians . . . this derived from the national character of the Reich'. Manchester (The Arms of Krupp) focuses attention to Magellan, who disproved Christendom's belief that Europe is the center of the universe. Manchester describes the
transition of the Medieval, "shackled in ignorance, disciplined by fear, and sheathed in superstition,"
into the Renaissance even with the famous villains such as Cesare Borgia and Torquemada.

Manchester’s depiction of the Middle Ages as a time when the strong and the shrewd prospered while the creative, the dreamer, the thinker and the unfortunate suffered, resonates even to this day.

Chapters in the Book

Instead of arranging the sequence of events by chronological order as historical books wont to do, Manchester takes the reader through subject by subject. It begins with the author’s explanation of the Medieval mind and how it came to be. Manchester addresses every probable facet of life during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods.

Aside from recalling the defining moments of the time and portraying the lives of prominent people, he is able to vividly illustrate the main characteristics of the Medieval period starting from the way people dress, their eating habits, beliefs, and living conditions of all classes, ranging from peasantry to nobility.

The book ends with a section dedicated to the explorer Ferdinand Magellan, telling of his voyage to travel all over the globe and how his voyages effectively quelled the erroneous Catholic dogma that promoted Europe as the center of the universe. It ushered in an era of enlightenment, changed Western man’s view of the world and proved beyond doubt that the world is round. Consequently, these changes brought an end to the medieval era and its way of thinking.

A World Lit Only By Fire is comprehensive and presents history into a fantastic tale not boring narration which makes it all the more enjoyable. This book is suitable for people who take pleasure in learning about Europe particularly the Middle Ages.

Source:

A World Lit Only by Fire : The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance - Portrait of an Age (Paperback) by William Manchester. Publisher: Little, Brown & Company. Pub. Date: June 1993. ISBN-13: 9780316545563

Review on The Wonderful World of Adam Smith

Review on Chapter 3 The Wonderful World of Adam Smith

In the book The Worldly Philosophers Book, Chapter 3 The Wonderful World of Adam Smith discusses in great detail Smith’s various works. It particularly made mention of Adam Smith’s masterpiece “The Wealth of Nations”. In it, he delineated the four laws which govern the economy. Smith mentioned in this book four enduring laws which until now are still being considered acceptable. It is important to note that despite the fact that centuries engulfed between our time and Smith, still his claims remain true to this day.

Smith showed strong leaning towards the concept of “laissez faire” or unregulated economy as the backbone of capitalism. He got this idea from French physiocrat Francois Quesnay. From this theory, Smith came up with the four economic laws of the market.

Adam Smith’s first law of the market is self –interest or profit motive. This first law is important because from it stems all the economic activities man is willing to do in exchange of money. Pursuing self-interest may appear self-serving but “it is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from our regard to their self-interest."

The second law of the market according to Adam Smith is the law of competition. In an unregulated economy like capitalism, competition makes it possible for individual businessmen to operate within the boundaries of decency or what is fair to all. A certain amount of competition among businessmen help spurs the economy and protects interest of the working group.

As the demand for a product grows, self-interest sets in. Individual businessmen shift to the business with higher demand to be able to earn more. Thus, competition guarantees that there will be no exploitation of workers and the goods delivered are of the best quality.

The third law according to Adam Smith is the law of accumulation which refers to the accumulation of profits or what is aptly called retained earnings meant for business projects such as acquisition of more machinery and raw materials. This in turn is deemed to earn more profits.

Adam Smith’s fourth law is the law of population. As more machinery are purchased, the demand for workers grows. As more workers compete for jobs, wages come down because there is more supply than demand of labor which results in more profits for the capitalist.

According to Adam Smith, demand and supply plays a major role in the market especially for a self-regulated economy evident in laissez-faire. As the demand rises, supply tends to rise in proportion to the demand. This is the theory behind competition.

Competition may pose as a threat to businesses but it does serve its helpful purpose.

Smith believed that capitalism allows the worker freedom to choose his trade. Competition available in the person’s chosen trade prevents him from overpricing his commodities or services. Thus, Smith supposed that competition prevents monopoly and ruthless profiteering. With more and more business competing for a growing market of consumers, the quality of goods also gets better.

This principle of competition adhered to by Smith is applicable even to our times. We can see that the economic environment is, more than ever, alive and vibrant today. Great strides have been achieved in the capitalistic world. We see the rise of huge multinational corporations and massive labor unions which was virtually non-existent before.

Current business trends are leaning towards technology particularly computers, internet and mobile phone devices. Every business as a matter of fact cannot do without computers these days. With the advent of the internet age, competition becomes more prominent.

Competition has become stiffer through the years. Competition is more complicated than ever. Businesses are learning more and better ways to cope with the challenges competition poses. Management must come up with various strategies to keep afloat in an ever-changing business environment.

Strategic management helps make the business stay competitive. The survival of the business depends to a large extent on its ability to address specific problems to the organization effectively. This is where strategy in business management comes in.

Strategy provides the direction in which the business should take. Delineating company objectives clearly, establishing policies and plans and implementing plans by using resources are all parts of an effective strategy. Knowing the strategy that works then is essential for the growth of the company.

As Smith explains, when there is a growing public demand for shirts than bags, there will be a good business for shirts, but less demand for bags. As a result, the price of shirts will increase became the demand is more than the supply. The price of bags will go down because the supply is more than the demand.

The competition scenario during Adam Smith’s time may not be as cutthroat as it is today. In order to increase demand for their products, today’s businessmen expand their operations worldwide. Competition is no longer contained in a single community or locality but to the world. With the aid of computers and internet technology, the world is becoming smaller and smaller. Globalization becomes the new thrust for multinational companies. Along with the new technology also rise new challenges to business.

Globalization is a by-product of Adam Smith’s first law which is the profit motive or the self-interest motive. It is the reality in today’s multinational companies. With globalization come a number of opportunities to earn more profits. But it also poses a number of risks and difficulties which need to be addressed. It is easy to assume that what works in one works with another. Unfortunately, this is not the case in the international scene.

In their haste to gain more profits, a lot of companies make the same mistake of adopting the same policies at home in promoting their products in another country. They promote the same product, do the same advertising campaigns, even the brand names and packaging remain the same. In most cases this leads to failure since international companies find themselves beaten by locally-based competitors who knew the market well. This is so because assuming that one approach works everywhere fails to recognize the fact that differences do exist between countries and cultures. A number of companies who sell internationally maybe successful following a standardized marketing strategy but assuming this approach will work for your company too without prior research is a fatal error.

Take McDonalds for instance. This brand is recognizable worldwide. Their global success is attributed to the fact that they consider several factors before infiltrating a country. This is so because there are factors operating in domestic mix that differs or is not applicable in another.

To be competitive, marketing the product internationally should take into consideration several factors that could play a role in the success of the product. These factors include: country’s culture, resources found in that target country, current marketing situation, existing competition for McDonalds products, environmental forces operating in that country, cultural influences such as family, state, church, school and media. The 4P’s is essential in coming up with international marketing concepts – product, price, promotion and placement.

An example of this situation is the fact that McDonalds may sell a lot of burgers in the United States but this could not be true in China. Since Chinese prefer to eat chicken more than beef. Necessary adjustments then should be adopted before penetrating international market.

Other factors important in international marketing are: language, culture and religion.

In order to protect their profit motives, it is essential for companies to consider that language and cultural blunders inevitably lead to deals that go awry resulting in lost opportunities. The areas of cross-cultural and language training are essential to conducting international business and marketing strategies.

The development of branding is one way of remaining competitive in the global scene. This is also in keeping with Adam Smith’s law on competition since branding enables companies to create demand for their particular product. There are many examples of branding that has operated successfully with similar images that are designed to be culturally generic, such as Pepsi-Cola in United States and Japan. Market placement of goods refers to the methods which define the sectors where the goods need to get delivered to or identifying segments of potential customers. International and local trade laws obviously affect the marketing strategy of a business as these could set limits in the approach they used.

To succeed globally, Adam Smith believes that competition spurred by self-interest or the profit motive enables businesses to come up with strategies that would ensure their success such as the amalgamation of factors – effort, money and time. Adam Smith’s profit motive is particularly evident in the companies bid for globalization since the international market is four times larger than the U.S. market. Even to this day, Adam Smith’s law of self-interest and competition is still very much evident.

A Review on Alice Walker's Everyday Use

Quilting and Relationships

Everyday Use by Alice Walker is a story of a mother and her two daughters, Maggie and Dee. Despite being sisters, Maggie and Dee’s personalities are as opposite as night and day. Dee is the popular one who aspires for higher goals. Maggie, on the other hand, contents herself with staying at the shadow of sister and to learn how to quilt.

Towards the end of the story, the mother must make a choice as to whom to give the quilt which they hold for generations. When Maggie spoke and suggested that the quilt be given to her older sister Dee, she began to see Maggie in a different light. She also learned to appreciate Maggie’s simplicity and goodness as compared to Dee’s sophistication and ambitions.

Barbara Christian noted that in Walker's work one can gleaned "contrariness," a "willingness at all turns to challenge the fashionable belief of the day." The much-covered quilt pertains to a trope. In this instance, the trope is a metaphor to reality as experienced by the author during her times. Sam Whitsitt said that “the tightness of the stitching depends on the tightness of the identity of any group which claims the quilt as its sign”. Kelley believes that "the most resonant quality of [real] quiltmaking is the promise of creating unity amongst disparate elements". Recently, Showalter observes that the quilt has "transcended the stigma of its sources in women's culhire" and become the "central metaphor of American cultural identity".

During Alice Walker’s time "the writing of fiction," as Mary Helen Washington observes, may refer to having "done under the shadow of men". Therefore, the quilt could mean it takes the women from the domination of men and give them a voice, a place of their own.

As Sam Whitsitt points out “Moving out of the shadow of men, however, can lead to entanglements in the threads of women”. In a related article "The Needle or the Pen: The Literary Rediscovery of Women's Textile Work," Elaine Hedges narrates how women writers before the mid-1900s protect themselves and calm their nerves on the largely male-dominated literary establishment by used metaphor by saying writing was actually mere sewing-the pen refers to only a needle.

Both Elaine Hedges and Elaine Showalter recognize the importance of quilting, but have hesitations as to how it is used. Hedges notes "whether the needle doesn't at times move too magically to dispel conflict, to solve complex issues of gender and male power", and Elaine Showalter points out that, "while quilting does have crucial meaning for American women's texts, it can't be taken as a transhistorical and essential form of female expression, but rather as a gendered practice that change[s] from one generation to the next...".

Bakers said that "the sorority of quiltmakers, fragment weavers, holy patchers, possesses a sacred wisdom that it hands down from generation to generation of those who refuse the center for the ludic and unconfined spaces of the margins." This analysis pertains to Dee, the prodigal daughter in the story. She is the character who plays on the margins. Dee, in the story, is being excluded according to Nancy Tuten calls "the establishment of a sisterhood between mother and daughter," which pertains to the sisterhood between Mama and her daughter Maggie, not to the other daughter/sister, Dee.

In the story, Patricia Kane believes Dee is the prodigal daughter who does not receive the welcome she anticipates as opposed to the biblical story ‘prodigal son’. The explanation for this is simple, Nancy Tuten believes that Mama has a "distaste for Dee's egotism," that Maggie feels "disgust with her sister," and that, "in the end, Dee's oppressive voice is mute, for Mama has narrated her out of the story altogether."

The Bakers are more upfront. To them, Dee is evil, a "serpent" in Mama's "calm pasture"; inauthentic ("Dee is not an example of the indigenous rapping and styling out of Afro-America"; and a traitor ("Individualism and a flouting of convention in order to achieve 'aesthetic' success constitute acts of treachery in 'Everyday Use)".

Mary Helen Washington believes that "Walker is most closely aligned in the story with the 'bad daughter,' Dee... the one who goes out in the world and returns with African clothes and an African name”. Which means, Walker most likely identifies herself with Dee more than any other character in the story ‘Everyday Use’. Walker refers to Dee as an "autonomous person," and she points out the similarities like Dee, has an "African name ... and I love it and use it when I want to, and I love my Kenyan gowns and my Ugandan gowns--the whole bit--it's part of me" (Washington 102). Moreover, the name Dee is given, "Wangero," is the same name Walker herself was given when she went to Africa (Christian 13).

Susan Willis in noting that, "when the black writer takes the materials of folk culture and subjects them to fiction[,]... she is engaged in 'an enterprise fraught with contradiction.' Dee being the one fraught with contradiction is in danger of being branded as a traitor or excluded and shunned. But in a story as Diana Fuss pointed out in her book Essentially Speaking, it is definitely for the good to put some conflict rather than attempt to completely eliminate it. That is why in the end; Dee is relegated to the background and branded as a traitor.

Barbara Christian said that "Toomer's women are silent, their sense of themselves and their condition interpreted by a male narrator."

The iron though as what Washington points out, is that the story of "Everyday Use," which is supposed to give voice to people in and outside of the story, make their stories heard, is distributed in a market that does not include them. Whitsitt said, “They never hear their voices being heard”.

Mama's "epiphanic moment of recognition" (Baker and Pierce-Baker 161) is a re-cognition that she ought to live in the moment. That she does not see reality as it presents. Bakers believe that it should be taken in the context of logic or politics of discovering identity. Barbara Christian believes in Walker's "contrariness". This is because she creates characters who act in spite of themselves or who act out of character. This creates "differences within identities" (Fuss 103).

Walker changes her sentence to past tense when she writes about Mama’s epiphanic moment. "Something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet," which leads to "I never had done before: hugged Maggie to me..." In this instance, as Whitsitt said “But the past tense is not opposed to the present.”

The story ends with this newly-discovered intimacy between a mother and daughter, found presently as they never have done before. The fact is it is written in the past tense and the story ends that way. This, in turn, leads one to wonder about how present the present tense is at the beginning of the story. This somehow creates a contradiction which is unique to Walker’s writings.

As Elaine Showalter says in her article "Common Threads," the quilt itself is no longer specifically tied to woman's culture as years go by: "The patchwork quilt came to replace the melting-pot as the central metaphor of American cultural identity. In a very unusual pattern, it transcended the stigma of its sources in women's culture and has been remade as a universal sign of American identity."

Psychological Realism in Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys

“Good morning, Midnight” by Jean Rhys presents a narrative on the life of its main character Sasha Jensen. In the story Sasha Jansen comes to Paris using borrowed money to reminisce the past and purge the pain that haunts her.

Jean Rhys expertly employs her own brand of tragicomedy in this story.  Tragicomedy is when the boundaries of comedy and tragedy dissolves.  This she employs to portray psychological realism of Sasha’s life which many believes is a story of her own life.  Rhys has the distinctive style of dry humor and quick wit which she utilizes on her characters.

Rhys is very adept in injecting funny moments in somber scenes.  For instance, she writes of Sasha Jensen observing a group of women, “fifteen women in a queue, each clutching her penny, not one bold spirit to dash out of her turn past the stern-faced attendant. That’s what I call discipline” (10).

The same way that James Joyce employs internal monologues in his characters, Rhys also uses similar style.  Helen Carr notes that there is a “melancholy haze through which her work is often read” (77).   Rhys novels are filled with irony, farce and internal conversations of a character and Good Morning Midnight is of no exception to her brand of narrative style.

Rhys also employs flashbacks in the past.  In the book one can see the main character Sasha Jensen constantly looking back to her past as she walks through the streets of Paris. “Here this happened, here that happened” (Rhys 15). People and places serve as painful and constant reminder of what she left behind.

These flashbacks and internal monologues are used by Rhys to better illustrate and understand the inner workings of Sasha’s mind. These techniques, of course, lend psychological realism to the story.

The rooms and street she passed by recalls her past like a film rolling before her eyes.  “This damned room – it’s saturated with the past. . . . It’s all the rooms I’ve ever slept in, all the streets I’ve ever walked in. Now the whole thing moves in an ordered, undulating procession past my eyes. Rooms, streets, streets, rooms. . . .” (109).

The story may be told in first person and serves as a recollection of Sasha’s past but there are some doubts as to the veracity of her accounts.  This is largely because her narrations are clouded by the use of alcohol and luminal ( sleeping pill).

This reveals Sasha’s uncertainties particularly on her very own identity.  Sasha describes herself, through the imagined perception of other perople, as an old woman or “la vieille” [sic] (41).

Her indecisiveness extends to her views in life.  As the story unfolds, one can understand the reason why Sasha is depressed.  She recalls all that has transpired while she lived in Paris – her job as a mannequin and shop assistant, the death of her love Enno and the death of her baby son.  There's a flashback when looks at her dead baby.  She simply says, 'no wrinkle' as if she doesn’t care.
Sasha does not have a truly positive encounter with men as all of the men in her life disappointed her.  For instance, the love of her life, Enno, and her father, both left her which made her feel empty and abandoned.   She does not trust men, to the point that she does not trust herself to trust men.

Sasha’s emotions fluctuate quickly.  Rhys makes use of short paragraphs and sentences to demonstrate this. The whole idea of the book is like a documentation of inward reflection of Sasha’s uneventful life. The story does not have major climaxes.
Later, Sasha meets Rene, a young gigolo who offers her hope.  She likes him a lot but Sasha’s low self-esteem leads her to reject his advances. As the novel ends, one finds Sasha seeking comfort in the arms of her strange neighbor whom she, ironically, dislikes.

The beauty of Sasha is she just doesn’t tell her story, she actually lives it.  In her mind, she dwells in the past. She merges the present with what happens in the past.  Rhys’ depiction of female consciousness and experiences is flawless.  Sasha’s life may be depressing but there is one redeeming quality in her  which is her sense of humor.  She sees funny things even in the most difficult circumstances.  She understands the comedy and tragedy of life.  That is why the end of the story may appear quiet terrifying to some but not to Sasha because she understands life’s ironies.

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko features Tayo, a half-white Laguna Indian who just got home from The Battle of Bataan where he is stationed in the World War II. The horrors of the war plagues him. He is struggling to get rid of the unwanted and horrible memories. He wants to run from an unsavory past but the past won’t let him. He comes home to seek comfort and healing from the ancient rituals and the refuge offered by nature.

The ceremonies Tayo recreates help him change and overcome whatever mental anguish and past demons that haunt him. He attains peace only by "finally seeing the pattern, the way all the stories fit together -- the old stories, the war stories, their stories -- to become the story that was still being told."

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko is a story of alienation. That is why there are two opposing forces operating in the story: good versus bad, Indian vs “white” and the traditional practices vs. Modern views.

Silko employs a number of images and symbolisms to get the message across in the story. “White fog”, “white skin” and “snow” are some of these allusions.

Tayo feels alienated all his life. His “white skin” makes him different from the Indian people surrounding him. His mission in life seems to revolve around eradicating this seeming distance or imagined wall that separates him from the rest. He cries for his mother and feels happy when his aunt talks to him.

The “white fog” signifies his inner struggles. The images of “white fog” conjures images of confusion, invisibility and detachment. Tayo used to be a man lost in the fog. White fog represents Tayo’s need for invisibility and the need to detach oneself from others even from himself. It is the fog of fragmented identity that bewilders.

In the Veterans' Hospital in Los Angeles where he was confined after the war, Tayo feels like white fog: invisible, oblivious to his surroundings and unable to talk. At first, Tayo refers to himself only in the third person. He cries a lot to the point that he vomits.

But the psychological distance is aggravated by physical distance. Tayo finds himself sent to the Philippines to fight the Japanese in World War II. This causes some emotional and psychological problems in the process. Tayo experiences a breakdown as he begins to imagine his enemies as relatives.

When his brother-cousin, Rocky, and beloved uncle Josiah passed away, Tayo has no one left to live for. He is unable to deal with reality so he thinks of himself as invisible like a “fog.” He tries to detach from everything, even from himself. So much so that talks about himself in third person.

“He inhabited a gray winter fog on a distant elk mountain where hunters are

lost indefinitely and their own bones mark the boundaries.

The new doctor asked him if he had ever been visible, and Tayo spoke to him

softly and said that he was sorry but no one was allowed to speak to an

invisible one. . . . The sun was dissolving the fog, and one day Tayo heard a voice answering the doctor. The voice was saying, `He can't talk to you. He is invisible. His words are formed with an invisible tongue, they have no sound.”(15)

Tayo, who has long denied his being half-breed, finally admits it when he gets home. His friend and later, deadly nemesis, Emo taunts him in. Tayo’s admission, however, is an important part of his healing process. It signals the start of his willingness to embrace wholeness again.

Things finally to make sense and fall into place when he encounters Betonie – a half-breed (Indian and White) like him. He says to Tayo, “Nothing is that simple. . . you don't write off all the white people, just like you don't trust all the Indians." (128)

This is something Tayo knows all along but refuses to admit even to himself. He knows that Emo is a killer but he feels inclined to keep a blind eye to his faults because he is Indian. He also feels compelled to distrust all white people simply because they are white.

Betonie relates a story to Tayo which changes his life. Tayo begins to understand and pursue Josiah’s dream. He falls in love and realizes that love erases all distance. He begins to accept the strangeness surrounding him in order to accept his own uniqueness.

Living may be hard but not to live and be dead inside is worse. Such is the fate of the destroyers.

“There are much worse things, you know. The destroyers: they work to see how much

can be lost, how much can be forgotten. They destroy the feeling people have for each

other. . . . Their highest ambition is to gut human beings while they are still breathing,

to hold the heart still beating so the victim will never feel anything again. When they

finish, you watch yourself from a distance and you can't even cry -- not even for

yourself.' (229)

From Betonie, Tayo learns that he is part of a family. Understanding this is the key to understanding what it means to really live as opposed to merely exist. Another lesson he learns is that reality can be predictable. It does not need to be exciting and extraordinary. It is to be found in the ordinary and routine.

The reference of “snow” in the story seems to pertain to accepting the nature of changes.

For instance, Tayo fears a white rancher named Floyd Lee. He wants to turn back because of this fear. However, as he lies under a pine tree, Tayo has an epiphany. He becomes “insubstantial” and free from the fear of Lee’s riders. Then sees a mountain lion:

“Relentless moton was the lion’s greatest beauty, changing substance and color in

rhythm... dark as lava rock and suddenly bright as a field of snow... (204).”

The lion teaches Tayo to have no hesitations as he moves with the natural rhythm like “snow.” In this instance, snow is associated with the nature of change. Tayo must have self-confidence in order to cope with this kind of change. This transforms Tayo from a lost person - as to the time when he got lost due to a fog - to someone who is able to grasp the significance of events and be able to act in response to it. This knowledge enables him to confidently confront his nemesis Emo in the latter part of the story.

Another instance where “snow” is mentioned is when Tayo walks off the mountain, he realizes that he and the lion have been saved by the falling snow “the snowflakes were swirlingin tall chimneys of wind, filling his tracks like pollen sprinked in the mountain lion’s footprints” (215). Snow here is significant as it pertains to help or aid extended to him and the lion at a crucial part of their lives.

Another mention of snow is when he meets a mysterious man carrying a deer. When they arrive at a cabin, the snow threatens to topple down the branches of a tree near them. He turns to Ts’eh saying “The tree... you (Ts’eh) better fold up the blanket before the snowstorm breaks the branches” (218). Ts’eh goes to the bedroom where a “black storm-patterned blanket” lays. The storm ends when she folds the blanket. One can glean that Ts’eh’s blanket can bring and end snow. Snow, in this instance, becomes a threat to their lives.

All these instances and Tayo’s encounter with the snow prepares him for any eventualities. Snow signifies changes which could sometimes be swift or sudden. Snow could be both life-saving and life-threatening at the same time. And it comes when you least expect it.

The symbolism of “snow” strengthens Tayo and his resolve to face any eventualities. The white fog signifies his confusion which is a mark of his former self. As the story progresses, one can sense changes in Tayo particularly in his ability to accept his “white skin” and thus embrace wholeness.

As Tayo learns acceptance, “the white fog” in his life clears. He tranforms from a man who was once lost in the fog into a compelling and strong hero. The “snow” signifies changes and his eventual acceptance of these changes. The struggles that Tayo needs to cope revolves mainly around his “white skin” which at the start of the story symbolizes a part of his life that is difficult to embrace. The thick white skin serves to shield him and keep him insensitive to the things around him. It numbs his feelings from love and grief.

‘Their highest ambition is to gut human beings while they are still breathing, to hold

the heart still beating so the victim will never feel anything again. When they finish,

you watch yourself from a distance and you can’t even cry—not even for yourself.’

“He recognized it then: the thick white skin that had enclosed him, silencing the

sensations of living, the love as well as the grief; and he had been left with only the hum of the tissues that enclosed him. He never knew how long he had been lost there, in that hospital in Los Angeles.

‘They are all around now. Only destruction is capable of arousing a sensation,

the remains of something alive in them; for each time they do it, the scar thickens, and

they feel less and less, yet still hungering for more’. ” (229- 230)

The quotation refers to the need to destroy. The numbness the destroyers feel can only be awakened by the sensation of destruction. This is the only way for the destroyers to feel alive. Yet each time they destroy something, a bit of themselves die, making them more insensitive than ever. Their feelings or possibly consciences are effectively drowned in the process and they hunger for more destruction to feel alive.

The different effect of “white fog’ and “snow” lead to the above quotation because “white fog” makes Tayo alive but he is actually dead inside. He does not live but merely exists because of this incompleteness inside him. The ‘snow’ is what transforms him later and gives him confidence to accept change and really live his life. It is a befitting end to Tayo’s quest of self, healing and redemption.

Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is an endearing tale of Gregor who transforms into a gigantic insect. The physical transformation however merely reflects his inner state

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a heart-wrenching tale of a young man named Gregor Samsa who works so hard as a traveling salesman to be able to provide for his family only to find himself sidelined by a strange tragedy.

Summary

One morning, Gregor wakes up and sees that he is no longer a man but metamorphosed into a gigantic vermin probably a roach. Surprisingly, the first thing that comes to his mind is not his condition but his work as he laments “ how am I going to work?”

Gregor consciously resists the recognition of his plight. His family is shocked with the transformation. They shut Gregor in his room and provide him with food and water daily. His sister Grete and mother would avoid him as much as possible. His father pelted him with apples. One apple got stuck in his back , causing an infection.

Gregor experiences alienation from them. The most telling line of the story is when he hears his sister playing the violin. He wants so much to tell Grete that he plans to send her to the conservatory to study violin but he hears her say referring to him, “We must try to get rid of it. We've done everything humanly possible to take care of it and to put up with it, no one can reproach us in the slightest .

Gregor goes back to his room upon hearing this. He loses his desire to live and he perishes. The family feels relieved upon seeing his corpse. The novella ends with Gregor’s parents taking note of Grete and realizing that she has become a "good looking, shapely" girl who will soon be old enough to marry.”

Analysis of the Story

Metamorphosis is an allegory to Gregor's struggles in life. He makes uncommon sacrifices to provide for his family. So much so that he practically turns into a bug long before the physical transformation begins.

Gregor complains when he discovers his plight which indicates that he thinks his transformation is a nightmare that he can just wish away. Despite his pitiable condition, he still manages to think of work and his family.

When Gregor metamorphosed into an insect he becomes a burden to his family. He no longer serves a purpose to his parents since his transformation forces him to stay in his room. His value is equated to his ability to care for his family. And since he is no longer capable of doing so, he is ignored. After Gregor died, the family feels free of the burden of looking after him. The parents then turn their attention to Grete whom they believe they could exploit to provide for their whims.

The Metamorphosis is probably a satirical indictment of the bourgeois society and its unreasonable demands. It could also be Gregor's feelings of alienation and unspoken needs which were crushed by authority and the monotony of the daily grind. Gregor's metamorphosis illustrates the fact of how low he has allowed himself to deteriorate. He reduces himself to a state at par with the insects, incapable of having a voice and exercising his choices as a human being.

Dee's Character in Everyday Use

Dee's character in Everyday Use by Walker is the antithesis to simplicity. Her seeming defiance to tradition makes Mother more appreciative of African-American culture.

In the story, Dee is the prodigal daughter who does not receive the welcome she anticipates as opposed to the biblical story ‘prodigal son’. The explanation for this is simple, Mama does not approve of Dee's egotism. At the same time, Maggie feels some conflict with her sister particularly in the way they view things.

Preference for Appearances

The outside world influences Dee. It changes her as she prefers other culture over hers. Dee changes her name to Wangero in the story. She does not give much importance to her name or the fact that she was named after her Aunt Dicie. When asked what happened to her name, she simply replied, “She’s dead.”

In the process, Dee was actually putting a mental and emotional distance from her family, at the same time, her culture and heritage. Her new name and manner of talking and dressing reflect all that. Dee's contradictions put her in danger of being branded a traitor or shunned by her kind due to her lack of loyalty to her culture and heritage.

Dee hates their house. Mother and Maggie do not mind the appearance of their house because it puts a roof over their heads and serves a purpose. The house is representative of the plain sometimes unpleasant part of the family’s culture and heritage which include being uneducated, poor and descendants of slaves.

It is not exactly the house that Dee hates but what it represents. The house reminds her of poverty and hardship, the very things she despises in her life. Despite Dee’s reluctance to accept her lot as represented by her repugnance of the house, she is, however, very interested in the objects found inside their house such as the dasher, churntop and quilts.

Her fascination from these things stems not from their history but because of their monetary value. They will fetch a handsome price if sold. She calls those things as “priceless”. Yet, she does not realize that what makes those things priceless is because they were hand-made and handed down from generation to generation.

Contrasts and Comparisons with Maggie and Mother

Mother and Maggie do not want to change. They want to preserve the pure African-American culture heritage steeped in their blood the way they try to save grandmother’s quilt. Maggie sees the quilts as symbols of the black culture. And for good reason. In these quilts were bits and pieces of Grandma Dee’s dresses worn fifty and more years ago.

It also has the bits of Grandpa Jarrell's Paisley shirts. And one teeny faded blue piece . . . that was from Great Grandpa Ezra's uniform that he wore in the Civil War." (Walker 6) The quilts represents the history of the family.

Dee’s motivation is not based on noble intentions but for monetary gains. Perhaps, this is the very reason why Mother opted to give the quilt - a family heirloom- to Maggie. It is because Maggie appreciates the labor, history, heritage behind a very simple piece of quilt.

Dee, however, only sees the external and financial equivalent of things. Her mind could not fathom deeper than what is visible. In the end, Dee's oppressive voice is muted, for Mama has narrated her out of the story altogether.

Theories of Action in Business Strategy

Richard Whittington's book 'What is Strategy and Does it Matter' delineates and differentiates 4 approaches to strategy - classical, evolutionary, processual & systemic.

"What is Strategy - and Does it Matter?(2002)" by Richard Whittington revolves around four different views on strategy or the "theories of action" in business strategy : the classical planning approach; the efficiency-driven evolutionary approach; the craft-like processual approach; and the internationally-sensitive, systemic approach.

The Classical Approach to Strategy

According to Whittington, for classicists profitability is the highest goal of business and rational planning as the means to attain it. Whittington quoted Alfred Sloan, former President of General Motors, who laid out the cornerstone for the Classical strategy based on profit. In his biography My Years with General Motors he said:

The strategic aim of a business is to earn a return on capital, and if in any particular case the return in the long run is not satisfactory, the deficiency should be corrected or the activity abandoned. (1963:49)

To sum it up, Classical approach to strategy requires that managers be ready and capable of adopting profit-maximizing strategies through rational long-term planning.

Evolutionary Approach on Strategy

Evolutionary approaches do not rely on top management’s skill to plan and act rationally. Instead of depending on managers, they believe that markets will determine profit maximization and not the managers. Whatever methods the managers will adopt, the best performance will be the ones that survive. Rational methods are not the basis for this approach because it is ‘evolution thatis nature’s cost-benefit analysis’ (Einhorn and Hogarth 1988:114).

In evolutionary perspectives, competition is not overcomed by detached calculation such as in classical perspective but by constant struggle for survival in the jungle. The biological principle of natural selection is at the core of evolutionary theory wherein the most apt strategies often translate in the best performance allowing them to survive and progress. The weaker performers are driven out of the market.

Processual Approach to Strategy

Processual approaches also do not subscribed to rational strategy-making forwarded by Classical approach. However they do not agree with the evolutionary perspective either of leaving the profit-maximizing outcomes to the market. To them, organizations and markets are wrought with confusion and mess. The best Processual method is not to strive for the ideal but to work with what the reality offers.

The Processual Approaches were formulated by American Carnegie School most notably by Richard Cyert, James March and Herbert Simon. They believe that rational economic man is not possible because we cannot overlook all factors at the same time. Human nature is simply flawed.

Micro-political view implies that firms are not united towards a single goal such as profit. Instead it is made up of a number of individuals with different interests and bring them to the organization. The members of the organization bargain between themselves to arrive at a set of goals that is acceptable to them all. The main strategy for this approach is to simplify complex processes.

Systemic Approach on Strategy

Sytemic theorists believe that the organization is capable of planning and acting effectively. According to them economic activity cannot be separated from social relations such as family, state or religion. These social factors influence the the means and ends of a systemic approach and define what is the suitable behavior for their members.

In a systemic approach, the organization is not just made up of individuals but of social groups with interests. The variables that Systemic contend with are class and professions, nations and states, families and gender. The strategy then depends on the social environment of the firm.

The four theories of action in business strategy offer us an insight into the motivation behind the company’s vision and what strategies they most likely implement.

Reference:

Whittington, Richard. "What is Strategy - and Does it Matter?” (2002) Thomson Learning, UK.

Film Review: An Inconvenient Truth

An Inconvenient Truth by US Vice Pres Al Gore exposes the deadly effects of global warming. If there is no action taken, global warming will be irreversible in 10 years.

An Inconvenient Truth is a documentary film pertaining to global warming made by United States Vice President Al Gore. The movie has this to say about the pressing environmental problem afflicting all of us - Global warming is real. And we are to be blamed for it.

Controversies Hounding Global Warming

Action must be swift to address this environmental concerns. If things don’t change immediately, in ten years the planet may reach a "tipping point" causing the destruction of our civilization and most of the other species on this planet. When the “tipping point” is reached, it will no longer be possible to contain the problem.

These are the facts in Al Gore’s documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth." According to Gore "there is no controversy about these facts. Out of 925 recent articles in peer-review scientific journals about global warming, there was no disagreement. Zero”.

Gore shows the famous photograph "Earthrise," taken from space by the first American astronauts. Then later, space photographs show that glaciers and lakes are shrinking, snows are melting, shorelines are retreating.

Signs of Global Warming

Statistics that Gore relayed in the film are equally disturbing:

The 10 warmest years in history were in the last 14 years.
South America experienced its first hurricane in 2005.
Japan and the Pacific are setting records for typhoons.
Cores of polar ice show that carbon dioxide is much, much higher than ever before in a quarter of a million years. It was once thought that such things went in cycles but not anymore as carbon dioxide content keeps growing higher.
The main man-made cause of global warming is the burning of fossil fuels. Energy stored over hundreds of millions of years in the form of coal, gas and oil, are extracted and released suddenly. This is one of the causes global warming. Glaciers and snow reflect sunlight but sea water absorbs it. Therefore, the more the ice melts, the more of the sun's energy is retained by the sea making it warmer.
Among scientists, Gore says there is "100 percent agreement" on the reality of global warming. But among the media, only 43 percent supports it. This is due mainly to the disinformation campaign started in the 1990s by the energy industries to "reposition global warming as a debate" instead of an unquestionable fact. The energy industries has much to lose if environment-friendly measures are adopted such as use of hybrid and electric cars.

How to Address Global Warming

There is still hope though if we act right now. The damage is still reversible. What to do in the face of this global threat? Use or support the development of alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, tidal, and, yes, nuclear. Drive only hybrid and electric cars. The government should subsidize public transit and fares. Save energy in your houses. You can start by turning off the lights when not needed.

The Writing Style of H G Bissinger

H.G. Bissinger's work Friday Night Lights receive numerous accolades from the sports world. Bissinger's writing style certainly helped make the book a best-seller.

H. G. "Buzz" Bissinger is an award-winning journalist, born November 1, 1954, in New York City. He is best known for his work Friday Night Lights. This is a non-fiction book which chronicles the 1988 season of the Permian High School Panthers football team in Odessa, Texas as they vie for the Texas state championship.

The book earns positive reactions from the literary circles. It sold almost two million copies. In a list of the one hundred best books on sports ever, Sports Illustrated ranks Friday Night Lights as fourth and the best ever on football. ESPN calls Friday Night Lights the best book on sports over the past quarter century.

Layout

The lay-out of the novel is originally intended to be a documentary on the high school sports which keep the small town of Odessa preoccupied. However, the story evolves as Bissinger delves on the life in the town of Odessa, Texas. Football becomes the main focus of the town. Academics in school are hardly noticed.

Character Development

Bissinger’s dedication to his craft is noteworthy. He spent a lot of time to develop his characters even the story in general. As a matter of fact, for Friday Night Lights he spent hours researching on the high school teams. After careful evaluation of the teams, he chose Odessa, TX and their famous Permian Panthers.

It was a long, painstaking process for Bissinger in order to come up with the perfect characters for his story. He chose Panthers because of its had a long history of winning in Texas' AAAA and AAAAA division, winning championships in 1965, 1972, 1980 and 1984. Bissinger and his family moved from Philadelphia to Odessa.

In order to fully understand his characters, he practically spent the entire football season with the Permian Panther players, their families, the coaches, and a number of the townspeople. Bissinger did not spare any effort in securing pertinent facts about the town’s football culture and the reason for the fanaticism for their football team.

Use of Description

Bissinger does not hold back in this captivating tale he weaves particularly in the lives of the players and the town’s history. His language sometimes is on the verge of being overblown. But this is hardly surprising. Passion is the name of the game. Bissinger merely echoes the passion and the mythical heights the game of football has reached in the sleepy town of Odessa.

The football season is obviously at the center of all the fuss and the players’ lives even the whole town’s experience pale in comparison to football’s importance. Bissinger does not only show what the physical demands of being a Permian football player but also the mental and psychological hardships they go through. In all Bissenger is captivating in his writing.

Readers Ability to Connect

Bissinger has an uncanny way of making the story believable and easy to relate to. Even for non-football fanatics, the story presents an interesting slant on living as a whole. Bissinger depicted the town of Odessa as obsessed with football. They have this raw desire to win at all cost.

In this kind of atmosphere, players vomit from nervousness before each game. They are also forced to play even with injuries. When the team loses, the coach's front lawn sports a "For Sale" signs. Football is not just a game it is a way of life.

Bissinger clear depiction of the situation enables the readers to feel the tensions of the kids. The reader is painfully aware of the fact that these sports heroes are not just playing a game, but are engaged in a battle to defend their town’s honor. Despite the seeming antiseptic atmosphere with which the players had to contend, Bissinger is able to accomplish the more difficult feat of making the team's most ardent fans feel sympathetic to the team’s plight.

'Buzz' Bissinger captures the minds and hearts of the readers by the real life depictions of what Texas high school football is really like. The readers understand what it is like to be in the shoes of a Permian High School football player, to undergo a lot of pressure to carry the town’s name. Losing is not an option for the team where winning is the accepted tradition.

Plot Development

To develop his plot, Bissinger follows the lives of real Texas football players. He also examines deeply the town’s history and the reason for its obsession to football. Odessa is not a town known for big achievements but the Panthers help keep the hopes of this small town alive.

Social and racial divisions permeate the town. Its fragile economy that relies heavily on oil does not offer much security to the people. But every Friday night from September to December, when the Permian High School Panthers play football, this West Texas town becomes a place united in their dreams. With frankness and compassion, Bissinger chronicles the single-minded devotion of the town to the team which could either inspire or pressure the latter.

Diction

The language adopted in the book is mainly football language since the entire story revolves around this theme.

Overall Point, Theme or Purpose

Friday Night Lights attempts to examine the town, the team, its coaches, and its young players. He wants to depict the fact that football is directly tied to the self-image of the small town of Odessa. That is why, their football players are treated as heroes. This unwavering support of the team is crucial to their on-field success being the one with the winningest record in state annals.

Odessa, a city in decline after the oil business busted, relies on high school football to distract themselves from their early failures. Football binds the town together. In this sport they found redemption from the hole they unwittingly dug themselves into.

Sources:

Amazon. Friday Night Lights: a Town, a Team, and a Dream. 2008. Accessed 11 June 2008.

Barnes and Noble. Friday Night Lights: a Town, a Team, and a Dream. 2008. Accessed 11 June 2008.

Hamlet's Death Analysis

Hamlet is undoubtedly the most famous play penned by Shakespeare. It practically sealed his reputation as the leading dramatist of the world. This tragedy was written around 1601 or 1602. The tragedy made Shakespeare very prominent in his time and even up to the present.

According to American novelist, John Irving, in his work The World According to Garp, it is a life-redeeming work in which everybody dies. This saying is particularly applicable to William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. Death is the pervading theme of the play.

The tragedy of Hamlet delves on life, love and tyranny. All the major protagonists and antagonists in the play die in the end. In the process, they all redeemed themselves by dying because somehow their deaths advanced the cause each of them stands for.

Analysis

Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark, the title character, and the hero of the play. He is the son of Queen Gertrude and the late King Hamlet. The present king who happens to be his mother’s new husband is his uncle Claudius.

The play revolves entirely on death. It was the death of Hamlet’s father that becomes the focal point of the play. Little by little the revelations come with the aid of his father’s ghost. His uncle, Claudius, killed his father and married his mother, Gertrude.

In a fit of anger, Hamlet impulsively killed the man behind the curtain thinking it was Claudius. It is unfortunately, Polonius the father of his intended Ophelia. The death of her father drives Ophelia crazy. She committed suicide not long after. Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, vows to avenge his father and sister’s death. He stabs Hamlet with a poisoned blade but wounds himself and dies. Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine and dies. Hamlet musters his final strength to kill Claudius before he himself dies.

Hamlet’s Character

How did Hamlet become so obsessed with the idea of death? It is important to get a closer look at his character to understand his way of thinking.

At the start of the play, Hamlet’s character leaves a lot to be desired. For one, he is weak. Hamlet is not a commanding figure. As a matter of fact, he is depicted as weak and vacillating person. This may not be the best description of the leading character but Hamlet does appear to be confused in the beginning.

Hamlet is also a loner, bitter, and distrustful. He hates his uncle because he is aware of what his uncle did to his father. He dislikes his mother intensely because of her decision to marry his uncle right after his father passed away. Hamlet is actually an introspective young man who studied at the University of Wittenberg. He is indecisive and hesitant but sometimes can be impulsive in his decisions too.

His indecisiveness becomes apparent when his father’s ghost appeared before him to tell him that Claudius poisoned him. Hamlet was at first passive after being told of the truth of the death by the ghost of his father. Hamlet, instead of acting on what he knew for certain, spends his time laboring on how to prove that his uncle is guilty before taking actions.

The knowledge of the tyranny done to his father further fuels Hamlet’s quest for more introspection on the basic questions of life such as if there is truly an afterlife, if suicide is permissible, so on and so forth. He is constantly contemplating death even suicide and its consequences. Perhaps, his muddled mind could have made it plain that his only way out of the situation is by dying.

Hamlet’s weakness in character becomes very apparent in the scene where he quoted the most famous line in the English language in Act III, scene i (58) “To be or not to be.” In this scene, Hamlet was contemplating suicide and was weighing the consequences of his action. He ponders “which is nobler? To suffer life, “[t]he slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” or to seek to end it? As Hamlet ponders on this question, he realized that it leads to more questions rather than answers. Hamlet restated his question by adding dreaming to sleep. He says that the dreams that may come in the sleep of death could be intimidating so much so that they “must give us pause.” In other words, Hamlet realizes that the bigger question in suicide is what will happen to him in the afterlife?

He answers his own question by saying that no one wants to live except that “the dread of something after death” which means the fear of the unknown forces people to accept suffering rather than end their lives and regret later to find that they are in an even more desperate situation. Hamlet believes that the uncertainties of the afterlife caused extreme moral concerns that leads to inaction: “conscience does make cowards of us all . . . thus the native hue of resolution / Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought.”

Hamlet is afraid to die because of the uncertainties of the afterlife. But his choices all boil down to death –suicide or killing his uncle Claudius. He tried to end his inner struggles by turning to religion to seek valid reasons to either commit suicide or find the strength to kill Claudius. When religion does not suffices, he uses philosophy by asking the immortal line “to be or not to be” to be able to come up with the right answer but still find the reasons insufficient. These words emphasized Hamlet’s inner struggle to cope with two opposing forces operating within him which are preserving moral integrity and the need to avenge his father's murder. This scene is important because it reveals the quality of Hamlet's mind. He is deeply passionate by nature. He could be impulsive, rash and thoughtless but at times he appears to be logical, wise, reasonable and noble.

All the characters around Hamlet also appear weak. Claudius is probably the weakest, being a tyrant and a murderer. Gertrude married Claudius barely two months after Hamlet’s father dies which earned her the ire of her only son. So much so that young Hamlet said in jest, “Frailty, thy name is woman!” (I.ii.146).

Ophelia gives up her love for Hamlet when her father and brother told her to do so. The news that Hamlet turns mad must have weakened her. So much so that when her father dies she becomes insane. Laertes is so blinded by fury of the death of his father and sister that he refuses to listen to reason and plans to avenge their deaths by killing Hamlet. All characters just like Hamlet are not immune to weakness. Each knows how it feels to be vulnerable and in pain.

Somehow, Shakespeare gives the characters the chance to attain redemption through their deaths because it put an end to their vulnerabilities. Death makes all invulnerable and immortal. Perhaps, that is why Shakespeare deems it necessary to kill all major characters because their death would settle all scores. Death would signify triumph of good over evil.

Also, death solves Hamlet’s dilemma of whether retaining moral integrity, nobility and rationality and will or giving in to apathy, cynicism and vengeance. Death offers him no choice. His capacity to choose and exercise free will is effectively curbed by death. In the end, after all the characters died, there were no more struggles and no more choices left to be made. Death decides their fate, for all of them. After all, death is the greatest leveler of things. Kings and pauper become equal when they die because they leave behind their titles and treasures. They go alone and bare to meet the Creator stripped of all the vanities and masks that characterize our earthly lives. Death offers us all redemption because it is in death that we attain our true being and at this point, we arrive at full circle in life.

Claudius cunning does not spare him death. Laertes learning does not put off his fate. Gertrude’s charms do not ward it off. Ophelia’s youth isn’t enough to stop death. Every character learns to cope with the inevitable and the uncertainties that come with death.

Hamlet (2000) an Adaptation to Shakespeare’s Hamlet

A modern adaptation to Shakespeare Hamlet is the movie of the same title released in 2000. It starred Ethan Hawke in the lead role. The story ran for 2 hours. In this movie, Hamlet (Hawke) is a student film-maker who is the heir to Denmark Corporation based in New York. His mother Getrude played by Diane Venora is marrying Claudius (Kyle Maclachlan).

This is largely the same Shakespeare’s story but in a modern setting. Even the dialogue of the characters are extracted from the original play. Technology is very much a part of this film. For instance, Hamlet’s father’s ghost ( Sam Shephard) appeared to him through a closed-circuit TV. Video cameras and black-and-white films are used considerably.

The ‘play’ which Hamlet hatches to catch make the King admit the murder of his father is now a student project film. Ophelia (Julia Stiles) is taking photos of flowers instead of collecting real flowers in the movie. Instead of a palace, one sees various locations in New York for the setting. There are no medieval costumes and stone castles here.

I like the original play but I understand the movie better because of its visual portrayal of the play. It certainly helps. Also, it is set in the modern times which is something that we all could relate to.

The film is definitely a creative adaptation of the original. It may not have the swordfight at the end but it certainly merits praise for being able to portray the essence of Hamlet’s story – a son’s quest for justice for his father’s death.

Conclusion

The universal appeal of Hamlet is based largely on the fact that we can all empathize with his struggles and ideals. Each of us, at one point or another, has to face the dilemma of making a crucial choice between two conflicting needs. Hamlet's dilemma on how to deal a corrupt world at the same time preserving his moral integrity is a classic example of the choices every human being has to make. His conflicting thoughts, agitated reactions and unstable character may make him weak but at the same time perfectly human.

His last act of dying is befitting to his flawed but human character. It is also a way to redeem himself. His death proves his capacity for inner strength which is a huge deviation from his weak character depicted all throughout the play. He attains justice for the death of his father at all cost, even at the cost of his life.

The same way, the other characters realize their full potentials when faced with the struggles of imminent death. They also redeem themselves by facing the uncertainties of death which Hamlet so strongly dreads at a point of the story. By dying, they are able to overcome the dread and fears that are associated with death.

Everyday Use by Alice Walker

Alice Walker's Everyday Use presents an interesting comparison on how culture and heritage, represented by the quilt, is viewed particularly among the African-American.

Conflicts between views of culture and heritage is the main theme in Alice Walker`s ”Everyday Use”. In the story, we see two varied notions of how culture and heritage should be observed – simple and practical as exemplified by Mother and Maggie. And, the sophisticated and based on the external as exhibited by Dee.

The Quilt as a Cultural Identity

In the story, that the quilt has become the main metaphor of American cultural identity. Thus, the quilt represents culture and heritage. The characters’ views on the quilt form the basis of their views on culture and heritage. ‘Everyday Use’ may seem like a story of choice of a Mother between values of superficiality or practicality as exemplified by the traits of two daughters Dee and Maggie, respectively.

However, upon closer inspection, you will see that the story is actually an exploration of the idea of heritage applicable to African-Americans. At the start of the story we are introduced to two sisters – Maggie and Dee and their mother.

Despite being sisters, Maggie and Dee’s personalities are as opposite as night and day. Dee is the popular, beautiful one who aspires for higher, sophisticated goals. Maggie, on the other hand, is plain, timid and just content herself with staying at the shadow of her sister and spend her time at home to quilt.

Opposing Views on Heritage

Dee is seen as materialistic, complex, and modern woman. Her idea of culture and heritage as represented by the quilt depends on the "trendy-ness" of the thing. Mother describes Dee as “ used to read to us without pity; forcing words, lies, other folks’ habits, whole lives upon us two, sitting trapped and ignorant under her voice.... pressed us to her with the serious way she read, to shove us away at just the moment, like dimwits we seemed to understand” (409).

Mother, is simple and practical. The quilt represents culture and heritage which she valued more for its functionality and personal sentiments. Maggie, the other daughter, is the exact opposite of Dee. She is appreciative of the family history as demonstrated by her love to quilt.

Culture and heritage do not serve an ulterior motive or another purpose, they are in themselves sufficient reasons for doing so. Dee could not understand why her mother would not give her the quilt and chooses to give it to Maggie instead.

The choice is a validation of Mama’s approval on Maggie’s beliefs and views on heritage and culture. Walker depicted the true essence of culture and heritage which are not to be found in the objects or external appearance but reflected by attitude and lifestyle. We come to understand that for culture and heritage to be significant, they must be utilized in “everyday use” to make the past alive and vital.

Book:

In Love & Trouble: Stories of Black Women by Alice Walker. ISBN # 0-15-644450X. Published by Harvest Books; 5th edition, March 20, 1974.

Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is about love and fantasies which inextricably lead to the loss of identities of the characters.

William Shakepeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a tale of love. In the play Lysander complains, “Ay me, for aught that I could ever read, Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth....” Lysander utters these words to Hermia when she feels burdened by the obstacles to their love particularly when her father forbid them to marry.

The Theme of Love

Lysander assures Hermia that the course of true love has never been easy. There will always be insurmountable difficulties to impede it. Lysander cites differences in age as one (“misgrafted in respect of years”) and difficulties caused by friends or “war, death, or sickness,” which make love appears “swift as a shadow, short as any dream” (I.i.137, I.i.142–144).

Hermia counters by remaining positive all throughout their travails and believing that the difficulties are merely the price lovers pay in exchange for romantic bliss. The play is a comedy but the exploration of love’s difficulties is actually at the heart of it. Love’s trail, after all, is never paved.

Love’s difficulty is depicted in a number of instances in the play such as when Puck attempted to put love potion to Lysander and he ended up loving his fiancée Hermia’s best friend Helena.

Helena, on the other hand, is in love with Hermia’s suitor Demetrius. But Demetrius loves Helena. The love triangle creates an imbalance with Hermia having so many suitors while Helena has none.

All is well at the end, however, when Puck undoes his actions. Lysander loves Hermia again and Demetrius falls in love with Helena. A group wedding ensues.

Theme of Fantasy or Dreams

Another theme of the play is fantasy or as the title suggests dreams. This dream or fantasy is represented by fairies in the forest and magic potions. The emphasis of this setting in the play prepares the readers’ mind to the fact that something ‘magical’ is about to occur. This, of course, lends some sort of credibility to the story.

The fantasy part of the play also symbolizes loss of identities of the characters. This is best exemplified by Oberon and Titania who quarrels because of Oberon’s obsession to the Indian boy leaving Titania feeling unacknowledged.

It is this theme of lack of recognition of love that actually propels the story forward. This problem is not exclusive to Oberon and Titania since other characters in the play undergo similar conflict. Demetrius ignores Helena’s love and Hermia also refuses to acknowledge Demetrius’ love for her.

That love causes loss of identity on the lovers is a certainty. The loss of identities is a mere blurring of distinction in the desire to pursue practical ties between the characters in order to cope with the daunting world in the dark forest as exemplified in the brief and strange relationship between Titania and Bottom the Ass.

Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream offers a comical take on the travails of this most wondrous fantasy of all called love.