Man in the Crowd Essay Example for Free

Man in the Crowd Essay The epigraph at the beginning of â€Å"The Man in the Crowd† brings up the interesting question of what it really means to be alone. While the actual definition of alone is â€Å"quite by oneself, unaccompanied, solitary,† (â€Å"Alone†) the story, through the narrator’s thoughts and the observations of the nameless man in the crowd, can serve as a different perspective on being alone if applied beyond the situation in the tale. The epigraph says how terrible it is to never be alone, and the story serves as a metaphor for Poe to comment on how he views someone’s ability to actually be apart from the crowd. The story goes to show how social norms, thoughts of others, and inherent desires limit someone from ever being truly alone. Poe seems to believe that people are always a part society and are never fully separate and that possibly no one actually wishes to escape the crowd entirely. The thoughts of the narrator of the story represent how thoughts of others create unknowing connections that make it so no one is alone. The narrator serves as a direct example of the opinions people form while viewing others. He â€Å"regard[s] with the minute interest the innumerable varieties of figure, dress, air, gait, visage, and expression of countenance† (Poe, 233) of the individuals in the crowd. If he sees a person with â€Å"a filmy dimness of eye† and talking with â€Å"a guarded lowness of tone in conversation† then he assumes he is a gambler that â€Å"prey[s] upon the public† (Poe, 234). He uses the aforementioned characteristics to determine what type of person he or she is and ranks them on a â€Å"scale of what is termed gentility† (Poe, 234). Each person is objectified in the narrator’s mind upon observations of their clothing, cleanliness, and facial expressions. The narrator thinks that he can guess the occupation and lifestyle of a person by simply seeing them for less than a second. He then forms opinions of the people he sees and they have no way of knowing that he has those thoughts. Although, a person is unaware of the thoughts of others, thoughts create a connection between people. The narrator is connected to the people in the crowd because he is thinking about them. They are oblivious of the connection, but because of the narrator and his thoughts, they are, in a sense, there with someone else. The mysterious man that the narrator sees demonstrates that even when alone, it is impossible to be alone in the true sense of the word. Even in the large crowd, the people who are not walking or talking with anyone still combine with everyone else to make â€Å"continuous tides of population† (Poe, 233). They, although not interacting with anyone else, are always a part of society. The man that intrigues the narrator is a loner that, although unique, is still a part of the crowd. The man fits into no set group of people that the narrator names because of his contradictory and confusing appearance. His clothes were made of â€Å"linen, although dirty, (with a) beautiful texture† (Poe 236), suggesting that he is wealthy but does not care enough to look presentable. The â€Å"idiosyncrasy of (his) expression† (Poe, 234) is the greatest contributing factor to why the man cannot be grouped. The man does not fit any of the social norms of society, yet he combines with all of the people to form the crowd. Poe might be suggesting that even though the man in the crowd believes he is alone, he has the narrator following him and thinking about him. Since he is occupying the narrator’s mind for so long, the man is making a bigger difference in the crowd than he thinks he is. Poe proves through the mysterious man that even when alone, a person is making a difference and influencing his or her surroundings. The narrator’s feelings towards the crowd and the man’s anxiety when he is not within a crowd represent the need the narrator has to be a part of it. The narrator having been sick for a few months is craving the sight of others and is filled with â€Å"a delicious novelty of emotion† (Poe, 233) when he sees the crowd. The narrator’s joy at seeing others shows his unspoken desire to be a part of the outside world. He is drawn into the crowd because of the innate wish to be involved with others and his natural curiosity for them. The feeling of being together with others gives him a sense of belonging a purpose. The narrator says that the man â€Å"with every mark of agitation, pursues rapidly a route which brought (them) to the verge of the city† (Poe, 238) because â€Å"he refuses to be alone† (Poe, 239). The man wants to be surrounded by people and shows visibly that it is upsetting to not be so. Poe could be using the man’s agitation as a symbol of how the narrator subconsciously feels about the crowd. The mysterious man represents how the narrator desires to be with others and feel a sense of belonging to the crowd. Poe’s definition of being alone in the story, if applied in more general terms, seems to be if a person can actually separate from others in society. From the narrator and his pursuit of the mysterious man, it can be concluded that Poe does not believe that the separation is possible. It is the thoughts of others and the influences of actions that make it impossible for someone to escape the outside world. But more importantly than the fact that people cannot elude the opinions and preconceptions of others, is that people want to be noticed. Making a difference and influencing something is an inherent goal for the majority of people. The combination of the inability to escape everyone else and the desire people have to be apart of a group make it impossible to be, at least in the story, alone. â€Å"Alone.† Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. Poe, Edgar A, and Gary R. Thompson. The Selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe: Authoritative Texts, Backgrounds and Contexts, Criticism. New York: W.W. Norton Co, 2004. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury :: essays research papers

Bradbury ties personal freedom to the right of an individual having the freedom of expression when he utilizes the issue of censorship in Fahrenheit 451. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution reads: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievances. The common reading of the First Amendment is that commitment to free speech is not the acceptance of only non-controversial expressions that enjoy general approval. To accept a commitment to the First Amendment means, in the words of Justice Holmes, â€Å"freedom for what we hate.† As quoted in Students’ Right to Read (NCTE, 1982), â€Å"Censorship leaves students with an inadequate and distorted picture of the ideals, values, and problems of their culture. Writers may often be the spokesmen of their culture, or they may stand to the side, attempting to describe and evaluate that culture. Yet, partly because of censorship or the fear of censorship, many writers are ignored or inadequately represented in the public schools, and many are represented in anthologies not by their best work but by their safest or least offensive work.† What are the issues involved in censorship? Imagine that a group wants to ban Fahrenheit 451 because Montag defies authority. For the sake of the argument, assume for a moment that you wish to â€Å"ban† Fahrenheit 451 from the library shelves. To do so, you must do a number of things. First, you must establish why defying authority is wrong. What are its consequences? What are the probable effects on youth to see flagrant disregard of authority? (In regard to these questions, you may want to read Plato’s Apology to get a sense of how to argue the position.) Second, you must have some theory of psychology, either implied or directly stated. That is, you must establish how a reading of Fahrenheit 451 would inspire a student to flagrantly disregard authority. Why is reading bad for a student? How can it be bad? Next, you must establish how a student who reads Fahrenheit 451 will read the book and extract from it a message that says â€Å"Defy Authority Whenever Possible† and then act on this message. You must then reconcile whatever argument you construct with the responsibilities that accompany accepting the rights of the First Amendment.

Public and Private Sector Collaborations Essay

Open research organizations and private firms work under very diverse situations and with poles a-part aims and objectives, which result in fairly different outcomes in the two types of organizations. Public researchers are mainly ambitious due to their willingness to expand knowledge and publish them in journals and magazines to help for the cause of bringing it to knowledge of the masses. On the other hand, private firms and ventures aim to achieve higher profits through commercially valid information that the firm builds up or obtain to be kept in the boundaries of the company and far away from opponents in the market or the industry. This usually results in the conflicts among the two forms of organizations and it is difficult to work in collaboration between the public and private organizations. But it has also been evident from the past that, private companies and firms which have worked in public collaborations, although not many succeeded, but those who did, have been able to achieve goals and have set trends for other organizations to work for the cause of social development and enhancement of public systems for noble cause. Current Situation (LoJack) and Strategy: LoJack Corporation markets and authorizes the LoJack System, a unique, proprietary system used entirely by law enforcement workforce to track, establish, and pick up stolen motor vehicles. The problem of vehicle theft has escalated to an epidemic level an estimated to result in an yearly loss of approximately $8 billion. The LoJack System has an established track evidence of falling damages, striking public protection, and solving grave crimes related to motor vehicle thievery, all accomplished within the realistic restrictions of overburdened law enforcement structure.   Currently, LoJack has unique system designed to assist law enforcement in locating and tracking stole vehicles. Competition is fierce if viewed with Telemetric and GPS tracking devices. However, if we look at vehicle recovery systems, LoJack is the global leader with a law enforcement network that cannot be easily duplicated.   This law enforcement network is challenging politically and requires a high degree of local political assistance.   Financially, sales are climbing, but year over year growth is declining.   The distribution system through auto retailers seems stuck to new car sales. The LoJack strategy at the present time consists of several discrete variables.   LoJack has elected to expand into new geographic areas and markets which is a logical growth strategy for the firm which has established an enviable reputation in terms of asset recovery systems.   This company has developed a new tracking unit that permits it to move into new segments such as trailers while simultaneously reducing costs for such units, therefore, establishing itself as a cost leader in the sector.  Ã‚  Ã‚   This combined with a strong differentiation of product through law enforcement networks gives LoJack a strong competitive advantage.   These are strengths that cannot be quickly or easily duplicated and because of the proprietary technical aspect of this product.   Competitors would have to try and find substitute products to compete directly with LoJack. Competitive Environment New Entrants Teletrec and other competitors were on the market prior to LoJack’s entrance and other competitors are entering the market through GPS based systems such as ‘OnStar’.   These systems are not a onetime purchase but incur monthly fees to maintain service and may require the use of a cell phone. Substitutes Just as with GPS, there is a threat of substitute products coming on-line through new technology, but this threat should be mitigated by LoJack’s network with local law enforcement agencies. Suppliers Suppliers are also a threat as the auto industry is developing its own telematics technology.   The automakers have started relying on standards to speed up the plan cycle. Their incapability to bring state-of-the-art activity, communication, routing, and other â€Å"telematics† (navigation, driver-warning, and communication systems) evidently emphasize the manufacturers’ unwillingness to relying on these standards. The automakers came into view to have understood their errors and restrictions and are participating in the development of new network standards for both critical mission and convenience or entertainment systems. LoJack must continue to market its law enforcement advantage to thwart off this threat. Buyers At this stage, buyers have relatively limited buying power due to the lack of alternative technology. However, the threat is the heavy reliance on car dealers to sell the product.   If there is no incentive to do so, then the buyer may lack the knowledge that would drive the purchase. Intensity of Rivalry Although the product is in its growing stages, and there is no clear competition, the increased activity in this sector could be conducive of a threat to achieve a large enough market share to make the implementation worthwhile. Perspective on network level strategy Both LoJack and Micro Logic embrace the embedded organizational structure.   While they both have proprietary technology, they rely on other organizations to leverage these technologies.   LoJack’s technology would not have been possible without the alliance with local law enforcement agencies, Motorola, and Micro Logic.   Micro Logic’s existence had been to partner with organizations to influence its technological resourcefulness to additionally expand the companies that it works for.   It would take an evenhandedness stand in these companies and take a long term approach. In order for Micro Logic to be successful in this venture, it would need to rely on LoJack’s distribution and marketing systems. Not only to sell its products but also to ensure its own financial stability. If LoJack is to review its long term strategy, it must understand that research and development are not at the core of its operation.   Motorola is a key component to both LoJack and Micro Logic and has been a strong partner providing vital assistance. They cannot be relied on to only provide this technology to LoJack.   They are a much larger company and will look to broaden their reach.   In the fall of 1999 Motorola was already working to become a driving force in the telematics industry and moved to position itself with the major car companies. Recommendations Short Term LoJack should look to form a free alliance with Micro Logic. This would allow for LoJack to expand into the new market of construction equipment where need exist and no clear provider exist. An alliance between these two organizations has a proven track record and a proven product that can be marketed globally. The alliance should tackle the construction equipment market. This is a market that has a strong need for a location and asset management technology there is no clear market leader and creativity and innovation in products play a vital role to become a leader. The combination of LoJack’s proven solution for tracking and the ability of Micro Logic to develop strong asset management software would allow for strong penetration in this market.   Both organizations should look to work in their core areas of expertise. LoJack recognizes how to market and allocate the products and Micro Logic should right away assume the Research &Development purpose. This will allow both companies to continue to drive down cost. LoJack presently has sufficient cash on hand to assist the need for cash with Micro Logic.   At this point, the cash infusion should be done as a low or no interest loan to Micro Logic. The partnership works well over time, Micro Logic can establish if this is their core business.   If not, they will be able to sell this product back to LoJack just as it did the first time and move in a different direction or become a secondary firm to LoJack.   Motorola is currently working on the 3rd generation LoJack and Micro Logic sho uld work directly with Motorola on this function. Medium Term Once a clear hold on the construction market is protected, then the alliance will have the opportunity to move into the trailer market. A proven track record in auto recovery and construction equipment asset management will allow strong credibility and should allow LoJack and Micro Logic to become the market leaders. During this stage both firms will need to determine the structure of the company and if they are able to grow construction equipment sales to the same rate as existing auto sales then LoJack would be in a position to either absorb Metrologic into the existing organization or turn Micro Logic into a subsidiary. Long Term Emerging markets will be critical to the long term success of LoJack.   With a strong foothold on the construction market this area would be a logical first step into emerging markets as contraction equipment would usually surpass new car sales.   Immerging markets will provide the strongest revenue growths for the company and is possible this may need to be moved into the mid-term focus depending on the success for the technology.

Diversity - 1255 Words

What Does Diversity Mean to You, and What Does a Diverse Insurance Industry Look Like? By Amanda M. White, CPCU, API As I was preparing to start thinking about the topic of diversity, I did what most of us do these days. I did an internet search on the term. The search results were overwhelming and easily set a picture of what diversity is, without even having to click on a single link. But, while the search results may provide a definition of diversity, those results do not reflect the importance of diversity in the insurance industry and the role of insurance professionals in its development. Diversity is so much more than just the surface qualities of race or gender. It encompasses all qualities that make us unique, as an individual or†¦show more content†¦A diverse insurance industry looks like innovation. Without diversity, there is no innovation. Without innovation, there are no new products and services for consumers. The varied backgrounds and viewpoints that work together can come up with unique ideas, each from a different perspective. I have been a part of many project meetings where a new product or process was positively redesigned from the original idea just based on comments and experiences shared among the team members. It really makes you think about what the end result would have been without that consolidation of ideas. The industry today has already grasped this concept and is running away with it. This is evidenced by a highly competitive environment across all lines of business. A diverse insurance industry looks like marketing. Insurance companies must market to diverse populations, so they must take into account the different characteristics of individuals, cities, or other specific groups, in order to be successful. For example, if you are trying to focus market share CPCU Society 2 2009 Diversity Essay Contest on automobile insurance for young drivers in San Antonio, Texas, then you should consider the Latino heritage and lifestyle trends in your marketing materials, while using internet social networking sites as key advertising locations. And of course, the product orShow MoreRelatedDiversity And Diversity For A Company873 Words   |  4 PagesDiversity is a key contributor in today’s workforce. Many factors effect diversity and there are guidelines a company can follow to ensure it is diverse. Diversity and inclusion can be tools to create a competitive advantage for a company and can help solve issues by looking at problems from different perspectives. It also contributes to the employees by allowing for work with many types of people. 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