Five-page analysis of short story--The Yellow Wall-Paper Essay

Five-page analysis of short story--The Yellow Wall-Paper - Essay Example As she passed time in near isolation, she became determined to free the â€Å"creeping woman† whom she saw in the paper. Although Jane aspired to be a dutiful and obedient wife, she also felt that if she does not develop a sense of autonomy, she would be eternally unhappy. As the male authority figures around her (her husband and brother) saw mental stimulation and her creative work as her enemy and the cause of her problems, the author wanted to point out that suppressing Jane’s creative intelligence and maintaining a dual identity is the root of her nervous depression. A strong narrative in support of this was when Jane frees the symbolic persona within the yellow wallpaper by tearing it down. It was an expression of her liberation from a suppressed creative character. It was apparent early in the story that Jane did not believe in John’s prescription, but she was powerless to protest: â€Å"I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus†¦ but John says the very worst thing I can do is to think about my condition.† (249). She also intoned sarcasm as she tried to sound agreeable with John’s counsel by saying â€Å"He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction† (250). For most part, however, we are led to believe that it was her husband whom Jane blames for her illness. â€Å"John is a physician and†¦ perhaps that is the reason I do not get well faster†¦You see he does not believe I am sick! But what can one do?† (249) In pretending to agree with John, she did in effect lie to her husband and to herself – an event that created a schism in her personality. The upshot was that she became her own enemy and in doing so, two characters developed within. The first was the exterior, public Jane; the sweet, obedient, and loving wife, who cared for her husband and a Jane who should be

The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living | Discuss

The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living | Discuss The unexamined life is not worth living (Socrates). The inquiry performed by those endowed with a rational element, consists of attaining an end towards which this inquiry directs itself towards. The life of inquiry is that experienced by human beings and not beasts; since beasts do not desire in a manner that seeks fulfillment outside of a bodily sense but rather live according to instincts and methods that allow for the preservation of their species. This examination or inquiry begins with the desire of attaining some effect produced by an object or perhaps the object itself; although the end in question may differ, the components that compel one to act in realization of the end are the same: action stems from desire which empowers a choice. A choice is a deliberate desire and is followed by a contemplation of the means that would direct the search towards its desired end. A commonly desired end by all of mankind is that of knowledge, acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles stemming from an investigation. One elicits knowledge from a source which is discovered through an investigation in which the vestibule for this inquiry as well as that which produces a result becomes the science. Science allows for the examination of truths and knowledge under a particular form, whether it be experiential or perhaps in an a priori manner. In philosophy as well as many other areas that involve inquiry and pursuit of such ends, the role of science makes possible the study of all that exists, because whatever we seek in existence has truth in that it exists. That which does not exist may still be desired and produced but does not become discernable by scientific methods and exploration. Rather, it occurs as a distortion of a truth that does in fact owe its existence to an efficient cause. In order to conduct a meaningful and complete inquiry by use of a scientific approach, the sources of truth must not be mistaken for those which may provide some good for a temporary fulfillment as such misstep results in a deviation from knowledge and renders an individual restless since they cannot discern the falsehood contained in such an object which seeks to mirror the image of something greater. This new knowledge acquired is pernicious in that it has been attained not through an investigation in respect to a proper science but rather it has occurred under its pretensions. One may readily ask oneself what is the difference between a true scientific endeavor and that which falls under pretensions? Both of these endeavors begin with the same root of aspiration in which one seeks to expand the realm of knowledge which is contained in the mind, but the pretension occurs when one seeks to gain knowledge in order to gain some sort of appraisal or another effect. Although appraisal i s a response that is merited after hard labor, ones pride may hinder the actual knowledge that can be gained from the object. Secondly, one who searches for the truths scientifically in a pretentious manner is not actively engaging in this search but assumes that nature holds the answers and therefore does not compel nature to answer the questions a man of interest would have. Man in this respect chooses to take the answer provided to him. This knowledge gained is superficial and those who speak of it speak without knowledge, they loquaciously speak about its content and perceive to understand its form but in fact have not united both for a complete understanding. Although all philosophers and other individuals agree that true knowledge exists, many disagree on its nature and how it can be attained. David Hume and many other empiricists believe that the source of any knowledge that a being may have comes about through his/her experience with objects of existence. These objects are perceived by human beings who create ideas after having had these objects impress themselves upon the facilities which make sensory experience and its translation possible. Other thinkers such as Immanuel Kant and Saint Augustine do not make such an emphasis on human experience but rather agree that humans posses forms of understanding with in themselves so that they may be able to acknowledge the existence everything outside of themselves. Experience does in fact relay information to beings about the earthly life but can any other sort of concept lying outside of this realm be known? Can it be made known through the use of human innovations or does it require a wisd om and spiritual intensity that only a select few posses? Mankind has been compelled by his own physical existence as well as that of the physical world that exists around him to ask questions concerning his own existence and of its cause. In this journey one may not gain certainty, since human beings have not come into direct contact with its efficient cause. Human beings have sought ways to improve technology and other materials so that valuable information about their object in question may be learned which may lead them to finding certainty. Through this desire and ability to create and conduct such an investigation, humans have learned to conduct and at times manipulate the laws of nature in order to gain more information about the world they live in. Through Saint Augustines Confessions, the reader witnesses his struggle against the worldly things that sought to bring him asunder, and his quest for truth and complete knowledge. This quest for knowledge although it began in the physical world, places its end in the heavenly realm, where God can be found. The source of the knowledge that Saint Augustine searches for would encompass methods of investigation that he has not been familiar with but ensures that his reason is purified and it does not intend to expand it, and would keep our reason free from errors (Kant 24). Saint Augustine drew knowledge about himself and the physical world by introspection, looking inward and reflecting about oneself in context with everything else. Although this may be perceived as quite boastful and an overly confident activity from human beings, this is not done in the same manner that Rene Descartes did. Conversely, Saint Augustine came to understand that he is limited and lacking in the being which is possessed in perfection, understood that he was created by Him and through his decree all things that exist were made possible. In coming to such an understanding of the Necess ary Unconditional who is the cause of the existence of all else, he admitted human ignorance and praised the enigmatic nature of God. God needed no proof in the manner that humans proved the existence of other material things but rather contained in Him a self evident truth that radiates to those who sense with the mind and not the eye which is deceptive and creates illusory images if they are perceived as the origin of knowledge. He who believes in good is moved to attribute other forms of existence to such a creator, and Saint Augustine believed that this was as much that human reason unaided by revelation can come to know about the existence of God. Although this may seem as though Saint Augustine has regressed in his possession or amount of items which he has sustained as objects of his knowledge, the education which he has received provided perversions of the love that should be directed towards the Creator rather than things such as rhetoric, arithmetic and such. The love that one has for knowledge is the same that one has for God since God is the source of truths and all that exists; however, pursuing things of the worldly realm is an empty pursuit for the things that exist do not contain him. The love expressed for these transient objects imitates that which is reserved for its expression with God and its limitless impression causes injurious effects to the one who seeks them: this love runs rampant without fulfillment and consumes man in an infectious manner leaving man to recover from the malady of misery that follows after. This friendship with the world is deceptive and perversely jealous in that it prevents man from seeing his proper end in relation to his Creator, it seduces the senses until one discovers the impurities contained in the physical world. The manner in which he previously sought to prove the existence of an entity that cannot be described in words, understood by our limited capacity, nor imagined with our senses, was a manner that pulled him further from the source of truth and closer to the sources of heretical beliefs and sects which believed greatly in human power of reason. Under Saint Augustines confessional memoir, he abandons all sorts of superficial knowledge in search of pure knowledge which leads one not astray but fills the emptiness experienced when one places faith in fleeting objects. This kind of intellectual and spiritual labor requires that the mind be prepared in order to find truth, the best way to do such is by way of introspection which contemplates using the rational element which we have been gifted with and not our sense which provide limited understanding. Three crucial elements in the study of metaphysics and theology as well have come together in Saint Augustines pursuit, the source of knowl edge, the existence of God, and the role of science. These crucial elements provide the best proof possible for the existence of God which cannot be provided through the use of human innovations like technology because the material cannot encompass or comprehend the immaterial which exists outside the constrictions of time and space. The best existence comes not from the ability to prove him through the use of words, but it requires that one agree with the law of cause and effect and acknowledge that the modes of investigation conducted by man is only befitting to things of the physical world. God does not need to be proven for he is. One must possess faith so that he may come to acknowledge and attribute all that exists to Him. He who is certain and stable does not need to be secured by conducting a scientific investigation but rather it is the shaky human existence which needs this security to prove its existence and its purpose. The sciences, which derive its nature yet again from the Principal Cause, are intended to come to an adequate understanding of the world that surrounds humans and is not to be taken out of that context for such an action is a misuse of a gift which is worthless if not attributed to its original creator and not to man who also owes his existence to God. Man participates in this uncondit ional knowledge not upon the recognition of the existence of the Supremely Perfect Being, but rather reason requires the aid of God himself which must make an impression upon the individual who engages his mind in this endeavor. The possibility of knowledge about God occurs not in this world but occurs after ones end has been fulfilled in the physical realm and it occurs through the doctrine of the Beatific Vision which is upheld by many devout believers and instructors of the faith. The best proof of the existence of God occurs through an intimate and personal experience and is also found in the words of Saint Augustine in his Confessions. This source of evidence in regards to Gods existence is relative and faces an obstacle to prove itself to those who doubt that the existence of things outside of us can be definitively proven. Although many appreciate and admire the zeal and devotion Saint such an entity which he referred to as God, it is not a sufficient way to prove Gods existence according to thinkers like Kant who believe that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the required proof must show we have experience, and not merely imagination of outer things; and this it would seem, cannot be achieved save by proof that even our inner experienceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.is possible only on the assumption of outer experience(Kant 245). Although Kant in the Critique of Pure Reason attempts to save metaphysics from the destructive powers of skeptics like David Hume, he does not find sufficient proof for the existence of God; rather through his scientific inquiry, he establishes the proper role of human reason in the phenomena which seeks to extend its boundaries towards the noumena. Things that exist in the noumena are perfect ideas and concepts which are contained in the forms of understanding so that a human being recognizes the concept of things such as duty from within, but God himself and what human beings has fabricated to describe the First Cause is not natural to the noumena. Therefore the existence of God per se is not so much grounded in that he is God but rather in the most perfect concepts and ideas. The existence of God cannot be proven in that manner of introspection according to Kant. Many believers and magistrates in the Christian faith believe that human beings come to know about God, although in a limited sense, through their participation in the eternal laws, which is called the natural law or conscience which is imprinted in them. Through this participation one comes to know about the moral laws and attributes the strict adherence to such laws being worthy of heavenly compensation. This belief also follows the principle of cause and effect but to Kant this is not sufficient and the contingence of a perfect unconditional on a conditional undermines the perfection and absolute quality that it possesses. In making such a connection, the existence of a so called God is undermined in that because he is only recognized through the moral law and in order for the existence of God to exist in a perfect manner it cannot have a dependence on anything else for that it is chief and final needing no additions or supplementation. Like Saint Augustine, Immanuel Kant believed that the content of the experience resulted in erroneous conceptions of certainty. Throughout the Critique of Pure Reason, Kant properly defines which subject matters fall under the category of a science, a study that is secure and in by no means pretentious, and examines the nature of knowledge which is comprised of three important components: understanding, judgment, and reason. Kants endeavor in the Critique of Pure Reason equaled that of Saint Augustine, he sought to prove that we can have certainty in some aspects but not in others. Although their endeavors were similar in their quest, the conclusions that would be formed about the basis of knowledge in respect to that of God, who exists in a supernatural realm, would differ so much so on the basis of the power accredited to reason by both of these great thinkers. Certainty can be found in the form of reason itself and not in the content of experience which is subject to changes and therefore fail to be reliable sources. The content of experience belongs to the phenomena whereas the concepts and ideas exist in the noumena. The forms of understanding can be analyzed, which we bring to each and every concept in order to come to certainty which produced by the mind in a logical sense and does not deal with the specific content of all experience. The mind analyzes concepts and ideas which form the basis for experiences. For example, the mind, without reference to experience can think of the law of cause and effect and then find examples which fit such laws. Since this has been done independent of experience, it is natural for the mind to think that every effect derives its occurrence from a cause which is the effect to yet another cause until one understands that a singular cause is responsible for this linear progression. In this respect, this is all that can be known about the First Cause by human beings because of the limitations that human reason comes across. Human beings have been given the power to explore within the phenomena and assert this claim: that the noumena does in fact exist but we cannot come closer to understanding in so much that it relates to the necessity of the things that exist in that realm. In this sense, the science which entails the study of God existence in the noumena as he is understood by Christians has yet to become secure because of the methods used, according to what Kant defines as a science in the Critique of Pure Reason. Although many are moved to believe that the Efficient Cause contains all the attributes described in the Bible and in the various monotheistic religions as well, humans are motivated to think of these qualities such as omnipotence, benevolence, and omniscience because they desire to do so. These desires to describe the Supreme Being in terms that describe the qualities of a human beings personality, character, and such arises from the need or want to identify and comprehend that which has been described as limitless yet fulfilling but both of these thinkers admit that human beings cannot come to such knowledge, either on their own or at all. Works Cited Page Kant, Immanuel. Critique of Pure Reason

Life Among the Fish Essay examples -- Personal Narrative Writing

Life Among the Fish I dropped my air tank on the deck of the boat, creating a deep hollow sound throughout the air. The tank lay on the rough floor teetering from side to side until finally resting against the waistband. I gazed at it for a moment lost in its sleek wetness while water poured down my back. â€Å"What are you looking at? Help me with my tank!† my sister Tawnya yelled from the stern of the boat. She was half way up the ladder with her tank slowly slipping off her back. My dad was the last one up the ladder. Dropping his tank, he let out the noise he always makes when he gets through something of a feat, a loud noise that sounds as though a train were going through the center of the boat. That day in the ocean took away any fear that I might have had in the future for doing anything adventurous. We got on the boat around nine that morning. The sun was sending out its warm rays that tickled your skin when you stepped into it from the shade. A white boat dubbed the â€Å"Naughty Nymph,† was our vehicle for the day to take us on endless adventures. Dad was getting the food on the boat as Tawnya and I ran around looking for secret hiding spots and the better place to put our towels. The bow of the boat seemed to be the best spot so that is where we settled. Dad yelled if we were ready to take off, and off we went. The waters were crystal blue. The coral on the sea floor was popping out at me as the water worked as magnifying glass. The water looked only three feet deep, a depth that would make anyone feel uneasy about driving over in a boat. There were islands all around us, chess pieces of the sea, which shot out of the ocean without warning. The wind was tickling my... ...ted to stay at the altitude of negative twenty for the rest of my life. I was not afraid down there, with the fish and the dead silence between breaths. I was not afraid of anything at that point. I would think of something that had frightened me before and would be completely calm at the thought. I was no longer afraid to do anything alone or something I would not normally do. I went back to living my life with the fish, doing flips and shaking hands with the seaweed until I felt someone take my hand. I looked up and saw Tawnya; it was time to head back to the surface. She pulled me along to where dad was waiting for us. I looked back at the great wall and smiled. Watching my world being swallowed up by the sea, I said good-bye to my friends and thanked them for being there to take away my fears for anything that came my way in the future.

My Favorite Sights Essay

As it known to us all that different countries possess different cultures, which presents both from the country’s sceneries and its people’s custom, such as the diversity between ancient Rome and ancient China, and every country is proud of them. China, a country that is famous for its large amount of gorgeous sights attracts millions of tourists each year. And Beijing has always becomes the first choice for foreigners owing to its historical and scenical aspects. One of the most will-known architectures in Beijing is the Forbidden City. It lies in the central axis of the whole city, also known as the biggest wooden structure in the world has witnessed the five thousand years history of our country. â€Å"It was built in 1420, and had been the palace for the royal family for over five hundred years, until the emperor Fuyi was banished. The Palace Museum, the focal point of the Forbidden City, was built in 1925, and then becomes country-owned after the establishment of China, and in 1988, it was approved as one of the world heritages. † (Baidu Online Encyclopedia). It is the biggest ancient-art museum in China, and the majority of the antiques are from Qing Dynasty. One of the most famous exhibitions is called â€Å"Qingming Riversides†, it is remembered as a top-notch painting from Song Dynasty which mainly describes the bustling and livelihood in that particular period. And it is the exquisite technique that depicts human, livestock, constructions, and trading in a piece of more than five meters long paper that makes the painting prominent. Moreover, the museum also collects beautiful China and bronze, which presents power and privilege in ancient China. Right behind the Forbidden City is the Jing Shan Park. The garden used to be the place where the royal family spends their leisure time, however after the fade of the family it became a public park. What’s more, Jing Shan Mountain inside the park is the tallest point of the whole Beijing City, which tourists can overlook the special scenery of the Forbidden City and the quadrangle houses near the park. The most attractive sight spot outside the city is the Great Wall. As an old saying goes, â€Å" He who has never been to The Great Wall is not a true man†, people have been inspired over a whole life to go to The Great Wall because of the spectacular scenery and the mysterious history. The Great wall was designed for defending the nomadic people from the north at 3rd century BC, after the first unify of the country. It took one-twentieth of the whole population to build at that time. However, the part we referred today is the wall rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty, which is nearly nine thousand meters long. Scientist haven’t figure out how can those people carry so many bricks without any machinery tools up to the mountains at that time. When I was a little girl, my father took me to the Great Wall, and I was absolutely astonished by the majestic view from the beacon tower, the continuous mountain, the vast blue sky above, and the most important—the dragon-shaped wall, and once you climbed up to the top beacon tower, you would never be able to resist yourself taking pictures of the splendid landscapes. Beijing—a city combined with history, beauty, and modernity in such a harmony, has always been my favorite sight. And how can you miss such an amazing city if you are a travel enthusiast!

M Analysis

Introduction Marks & Spencer is a British retailer with over 800 stores in more than 30 countries around the world. It is the largest clothing retailer in the UK, as well as being a food retailer. Most of its domestic stores sell both clothing & food, and since the year  2000 Marks & Spencer have started to expand into other ranges such as home wares, furniture & technology. Marks & Spencer became the first British retailer to make a pre-tax profit of over ?   billion â€Å"BBC News online 1998† Though a few years later Marks & Spencer were hit  by the â€Å"credit crunch† which has had a dramatic effect on the company as they struggle in the current economical climate. M&S is a successful company. In macro-environment, M&S obeys the government and protects the natural environment. Moreover, M&S is influenced by the factors of economic, social, and technological to make its business strategies. On the other hand, in micro-environment, the M&S has created a good an d long-term relationship with the suppliers and customers.From the SWOT analysis, the most important factor for M&S is to satisfy customer needs. On the other hand, the main disadvantage is the lack of clothing market segmentation that causes M&S to lose its brand awareness among the existing customers. The significant strategies of M&S are creating potential customers and maintaining the existing customers. To sum up, the analysis of M&S has found that its business structures follow the trend of society, keep the position in the market, and increase its potential market share. MissionThe mission of the M&S is to make as high quality accessible to all. Marks & Spencer is a leading British retailer of clothing, food and household goods. They prefer to call themselves â€Å"Marks & Spencer,† using an ampersand instead of the word â€Å"and. † Their logo is a style form of the characters â€Å"M&S. † They have a â€Å"Plan A† for tackling environmental issue s â€Å"because there is no plan B. † M&S outlines its core business as clothing and Food. Its’ financial objectives is to deliver shareholder value in terms of increase returns, but also in terms of increase sales and market share in retailing.It beliefs and values are outlined as â€Å"Our customers continue to see Marks & Spencer as the place to shop for special food, produced to exacting standards†. M&S also sees its workforce as an important part of its plan and also considers modern its stores as a key corporate objective. Vision The vision of the M&S is to be the standard against which all others are measured. They sells clothes, food and home wares at more than 650 stores in Britain and about 300 shops abroad, said it expected to achieve annual benefits of around 250 million pounds by 2015-2016 from upgrading its supply chain and information technology systems.They will supply chain and IT improvements. The improvements will include shrinking the firm's network of 100 warehouses, which are run by third parties, to just four. And also to revamp its website and said it would expand its business abroad, including at least 50 stores in India over five years. They have established a long-term vision for where we want to take the business which they believe will create long-term sustainable growth. At the heart of this vision is moving the business from being product focused, store centric and UK dominated to being customer focused, multi-channel and international.M would conduct a review of its UK store network in the light of fast-growing online retail sales, with future new store likely to be offset at least in part by closures. They plan to cutting prices, stepping up promotions and introducing new products, add 800 new lines to sustain the recent improvement, including extending a trial to sell a small number of brands. They think the strong growth potential in children swear and footwear as well as home wares. PESTLE Political Fact orsThe government sets regulations for companies to abide by such as Health & Safety British Standards such as, planning for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk  control. If companies do not abide by these regulations they will be fined or even in some cases be forced to close down. Marks & Spencer did not abide by the British Standards as they were charged for neglecting health & safety regulations after a door  fell on an employee. George Blair was allegedly injured after a warehouse door in their store near Glasgow was left hanging on loose fixtures.Marks are alleged to have ignored repair requests, allowing the door to fall in to disrepair. Marks & Spencer pled not guilty to this; there is still no outcome of this trial. Also according to â€Å"BBC News 30th January 2006† Marks & Spencer would be the first major retailer to go down the Fair-trade route on both clothing and food. The fair-trade policy, which they have launched will include, cut salt and fa t in M foods, recycled packaging and animal welfare protection. Marks & Spencer Chief Stuart Rose stated, â€Å"Customers want good value, but they care more than ever how food and clothing products are made†.Economical Factors Currently the economic outlook is very uncertain and this is more than likely to affect retail sales, as people do not have the spare cash to spend on luxury items such as clothing and food luxuries. Marks & Spencer have been hit by this and have recently closed a number of stores and have had to make job cuts of 2% of their 70,000 staff. And also to show what affect the recession has had, they took the decision to have two days of 20% discounts in the run-up to Christmas.They have also recently introduced a 20% of all Wine and Champagne to keep up with their competitors. Marks & Spencer have had to change the way they market themselves so that they can try and stay ahead of the recession. Sociological factors In the last few years society has changed. In 2006 as stated by the Guardian, Chief  Executive of Marks & Spencer Stuart Rose wanted to stretch the company brand, for  example he considered selling food online as part of a plan to become a multi-channel retailer, this was obviously to keep up with the competitive market such as Asda.Asda and Marks & Spencer appeal to different markets in terms of social class and other demographics; this has a major influence on the way they respond to current issues. In response to the current cheap clothing industry supermarkets have increasingly over the last few years caught up with fashion trends, helping them to rival the high street clothing stores with their less expensive versions. Marks & Spencer is no exception to this and they have bought their clothing ranges up to date to keep up with the latest trends and to keep their customers interested.Consumer purchases are influenced by cultural, social, personal and psychological characteristics. For the most  part, marketers can not control such factors, but they must take them into account. Technological Factors Technology is vital in the retail market. Companies must manage their brand scare. First the brands position must be continuously communicated to consumers. Major brand marketers often spend huge amounts on advertising to create brand awareness and to build preference and loyalty.For Marks & Spencer to continuously communicate to consumers they need to be heavily into advertising, which they are. They have Celebrity icon Class as the Face of Marks & Spencer who appears on the adverts on the TV and she is also on their website model the M clothing, so their adverts appeal to women not only in their 20’s but also to the more mature lady so they are covering all areas with their advertising campaign. Also their  website is very appealing with bright and very easy to use, it is also constantly updated with the new M brands. Legal Factors Legislations are always changing.Marks and Spencer carry out re-training & update every year, they keep up to date with new laws or legislations, and with issues regarding Health & Safety they also ensure that their legal protection is updated. For  re-training Marks & Spencer invite business changes to the business, tax changes to the business & products changes amongst many other things. Marks & Spencer invite objectives/methods that need to be changed and new training, and also on going development. An example of legislation is the â€Å"Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (1996) – Provided for the regulation of packaging and labeling of consumer goods.Requires that manufacturers state what the package contains, who made it, and how much it contains†. Here is an example from Marks & Spencer’s website to show that they are adhere to this legislation, â€Å"Packaging helps to protect the product between being produced and used by the customer. It prevents product wastage, carries important instructions and informatio n on ingredients and helps the product look its best in the store†. Environmental Factors With the current environmental climate as it stands, issues are being promoted daily on the television, in magazines and newspapers and on the radio.All companies, industries and organizations are being pressured to change their ways when it comes to the materials they use and how they manufacture. Marks & Spencer have established their own Green Policy which they call â€Å"Plan A† The chief executive of  Marks & Spencer states that it is called this because there is no â€Å"Plan B†. Marks has today announced a 100-point five-year plan to re-engineer itself to become a carbon neutral, zero-waste-to-landfill, ethical-trading, sustainable-sourcing, health-promoting business SWOT 3. 1 Strengths 3. 1. 1 High QualityHigh quality is the major strength that makes M successful. Customers always find high quality goods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and other superior goods i n M food hall (Ciao, 2002). With many people turning to eat vegetarian meals. M grasps the consumers need. M has high quality of products that are the food and other products, such as baby products and women under wears. 3. 1. 2 Customer Services M has high reputation for focusing on customer service. (Christie, 2002). This is one of the most important methods to make a good relationship between customers and M.For example, when women want to buy under wears for themselves, the shop assistants will help them to measure sizes and give them good suggestions. 3. 1. 3 Shopping Environment M tries to make customers feel more convenient and comfortable. It makes stores brighter, and uses modern designs (Rung 2001). All goods in the shop can be seen immediately. Furthermore, customers do not worry about being drowned in many shelves and avoiding multitudinous people. 3. 1. 4 Manager Training One of M strengths is its strict and excellent manager training system (Retail Technology,1999).Eve ry manager of M must be familiar with duty of every post. In fact, managers of M are arranged practice of every post. It helps them to improve both work experiences and management skills. 3. 2 Weakness 3. 2. 1 Clothing Lack Segmentation The clothing market of M has many segments. In fact, especially ladies outer wear, is outmoded design and cut. In addition, affluent younger consumers prefer purchasing brand-labels, such as Gap, Next and Top shop (Jobber, 2001: 149). 3. 2. 2 Stock Control The non-performance of the home delivery/shopping service even sometimes involves wedding lists.Customers were told that items were out of stock (Jobber, 2001). Customers complain the defect of e-shopping and delivery services. To some extent, M suffers from the unbalance between the stock and Information Technology System. 3. 2. 3 Waste Store Spaces Another problem is that M has many store spaces. In fact, it has added 75 percent of square foot age since the early Eighties, but its market share in clothing has not increased (Stewart, 2000). M needs to find some new products to stuff its extra spaces. 3. 3 Opportunities 3. 3. 1 Internet TechnologyInternet technology has developed fast, it offers an opportunity to increase the demand for the online products (Zakon, 1999). In terms of this circumstance, buying products online became a new trend. Customers are getting used to accept the model and adapt it to their daily lives, and the demand for this kind of products would be increased in the future. 3. 3. 2 Healthy Eating Healthy eating offers an opportunity that the demand of specific food will be increased (Leyshon, 2002). People pay attention to the life quality, they request companies to offer varied products to satisfy their needs.For example, in the food market, M does good segmentation in providing the vegetarian, low fat or organic food. This is the advantage that the competitors have not aware of it. 3. 3. 3 Marketing Extending The Company owned stores in the Republic of Ireland and Hong Kong and has 131 franchise stores in28 countries operating through a network of successful partnerships (Marks & Spencer, 2002d). In the future, the company will expand its business beyond the existing area. 3. 4 Threats Although M has its own strengths, opportunities and weaknesses, it still occurs some threats from itself and other competitors. . 4. 1 Strong Competitors Strong competitors are the most threat to M. For example, in the food market, there are four main supermarkets, such as Tesco, Asda, Safeway and Sainsbury (Oct, 2002). They provide not only high quality but also value-added products to build customers loyalty. In the clothing market, Gap, Next, Topshop and other fashionable brands may compete with M (M shuts, 2001). 3. 4. 2 The Change of Social Environment Except other competitors, M will be influenced by social environment.Since the social environment changes at any time, the customer tastes are also changed. For example, people move to other c ountries, and their culture will affect the local people lifestyles, such as eating, and dressing. M can adjust its products to satisfy different needs. 3. 4. 3 Chemical Pollution Environment pollution is a threat for M. An environmental systems manager of M claimed. Every one of the 30,000 product line that M sells is dependent on chemicals (Friend of the Earth,2002). Governments are taking measures to protect natural environment and reduce pollution.This potential risk will affect its development of M in the future. Invest strategy Focusing on improving its operations to save costs, expanding the options for customers to buy products – especially online – and driving its business outside of the U. K. The U. K. ‘s biggest department store operator told attendees at an investor day that was webcast on its website that it would improve its supply chain and implement new IT systems which would save it GBP250 million by 2015/2016 through capital expenditure over the same period of GBP1 billion.Some of those changes would include consolidating distribution sites which would mean further warehouse closures on top of the 21 already closed, sending products directly to the country of sale rather than routing everything through a central U. K. hub, and refreshing stock systems and data collection. The second stage of the company's strategy calls its 2020 program. It is to offer more choice of when and how to buy M products, with online sales a particularly large growth area especially as more people turn to shopping on the Internet.Store sales are expected to shrink slightly by 2020 to GBP206 billion from GBP212 billion this year, while online sales are expected to almost triple to GBP57 billion in 2020 from GBP21 billion this year according to research by Verdict, Forrester and Javelin Group provided by M at its investor day. Marks & Spencer aims to target some of its 8 million customers who shop online elsewhere but not at M. There is also an unt apped 21. 5 million M customers who don't shop online at all.The final plank in ITV's strategy is to grow its international business which currently accounts for 15% of M profits through 296 international stores and its online presence. The growth is expected to come from increasing the group's central and eastern European operations as well as building on its business in China and India. The company expects to open 50 stores in five years in India, and identify key regional growth areas in China where the company will focus on property, products and local sourcing.Marks & Spencer unveiled its new strategy program under the banner â€Å"2020 Doing The Right Thing† in May, which received a lukewarm reception from investors. At the time, the retailer outlined its targets but gave few details on how exactly it would implement the plans. A bellwether for British consumer sentiment, Marks & Spencer has been hit hard over the past 18 months by the economic downturn as shoppers eith er cut back spending on nonessential items or sought less expensive food and clothing elsewhere. As a result, the company has revamped its food offer and availability and introduced a budget range of grocery products.It has also cut capital spending, laid off 1,230 staff and closed some stores. At the start of the month, Marks & Spencer reported better-than-expected fiscal second-quarter sales, buoyed by the introduction of less expensive food and revamped clothing and house ware ranges. Still, it cautioned that business will remain difficult well into next year due to the economic downturn. Second-quarter group sales rose 2. 7%, due to a 9. 6% rise in international sales and a 30% jump in online sales. The company also raised its outlook on annual profit margin thanks to better stock control, sourcing and supply chain management.Targeting strategy Targeting approach used by Marks & Spencer (M&S) is more multi segment targeting than a concentrated targeting approach. When we look at the segmentation statistics, middle aged women are the prime revenue generator for the company but even the 80% of customers who bring the 20% of sales according to the 80/20 Pareto's rule can be developed to increase the sales. Therefore M has been more focused on targeting multi segments of people with good educational socio economic class and who some high income urban populations as well.M has been previously focusing on women gender only but now environmental variables are changing and M has entered into the men market with high quality products as well that has increased the brand image in the clothing and accessories industry. M cannot follow undifferentiated or differentiated approach as the product pricing techniques are such that it is targeted to limited segment of higher socio economic class, who have high demands and can afford luxury and pleasure easily. Positioning strategy M, as now has become an international brand, therefore the company needed to position its bran d in variable manner.The promotion in South East Asia region needed to be very different from what it was positioned in Britain. The company has focused a few important parameters that lift the brand in clothing industry. M has positioned its clothing and accessories with relaxation and high quality, moreover when it comes to international market specially in India where people are more in lower socio economic class and the consumer purchasing power is not equal to other international markets where M has been making profits, therefore in such regions the company has also focused on flexible pricing strategies in order to retain and add new customers.The competitors of M in the international market are large in numbers and in order to be differentiated from the others the positioning strategy currently adopted by M is well suited to the situation. The comfort and quality has been a prime concern for the clothing industry and positioning the product with such parameters requires M to provide constant results on long term basis so that the company is able to build the brand equity and customer loyalty.Positioning is promises that a company makes to its consumers and fulfilling this promise is not only the toughest task but it also need great sacrifices and unpopular decisions at times. However it is fact that if the positioning of the brand is well justified by the company with sincerity the increase in customer level is significant. In the world of similar products and services retaining customers is not easy and therefore M as a brand has to strive harder to get to the top clothing positioning.Financial position |   |Notes |As at |As at | | | |3 April |3 April | | | |2011 |2010 | | | |? m |? | |Assets |   | |   | |Non-current assets |   |   |   | |Investments in Group undertakings |C5 |9,179. 8 |9,168. 6 | |Total assets |   |9,179. 8 |9,168. | |Liabilities |   |   |   | |Current liabilities |   |   |   | |Amounts owed to Group und ertakings |   |2,591. 8 |2,603. 5 | |Total liabilities |   |2,591. 8 |2,603. | |Net assets |   |6,588. 0 |6,565. 1 | |Equity |   |   |   | |Ordinary share capital |   |396. 2 |395. 5 | |Share premium account |   |255. 2 |247. | |Capital redemption reserve |   |2,202. 6 |2,202. 6 | |Merger reserve |   |1,397. 3 |1,397. 3 | |Retained earnings |   |2,336. 7 |2,322. 2 | |Total equity |   |6,588. 0 |6,565. 1 |