Profiles of Famous Black Scientists

Black scientists, engineers, and inventors have made important contributions to society. These profiles of famous people will help you learn about black scientists, engineers, inventors and their projects. Key Takeaways: Famous Black Scientists Famous black scientists include Mae Jemison, George Washington Carver, and Charles Drew.Although these scientists often faced discrimination, both men and women made significant contributions to science.Black scientists were innovators, inventors, and pioneers who made astounding discoveries. Patricia Bath   In 1988, Patricia Bath invented the Cataract Laser Probe, a device that painlessly removes cataracts. Prior to this invention, cataracts were surgically removed. Patricia Bath founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness. In 1988, Patricia Bath invented the Cataract Laser Probe, a device that painlessly removes cataracts. Prior to this invention, cataracts were surgically removed. Patricia Bath founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness. Melvin Oatis and Dr. Patricia Bath attend TIME Celebrates FIRSTS on September 12, 2017 in New York City. Ben Gabbe / Getty Images George Washington Carver   George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who discovered industrial uses for crop plants such as sweet potatoes, peanuts, and soybeans. He developed methods for improving the soil. Carver recognized that legumes return nitrates to the soil. His work led to crop rotation. Carver was born a slave in Missouri. He struggled to gain an education, eventually graduating from what was to become Iowa State University. He joined the faculty of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1986. Tuskegee is where he performed his famous experiments. George Washington Carver in Laboratory. Corbis via Getty Images / Getty Images Marie Daly In 1947, Marie Daly became the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry. The majority of her career was spent as a college professor. In addition to her research, she developed programs to attract and aid minority students in medical and graduate school. Mae Jemison   Mae Jemison is a retired medical doctor and American astronaut. In 1992, she became the first black woman in space. She holds a degree in chemical engineering from Stanford and a degree in medicine from Cornell. She remains very active in science and technology. Mae Jemison speaks to students at Woodrow Wilson High School on March 19, 2009 in Washington, DC. Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images Percy Julian Percy Julian developed the anti-glaucoma drug physostigmine. Dr. Julian was born in Montgomery, Alabama, but educational opportunities for African Americans were limited in the South at that time, so he received his undergraduate degree from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. His research was conducted at DePauw University. Samuel Massie Jr. In 1966, Massie became the first black professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, making him the first black to teach full-time at any US military academy. Massie received a masters degree in chemistry from Fisk University and a doctorate in organic chemistry from Iowa State University. Massie was a professor of chemistry at the Naval Academy, became the chairman of the department of chemistry and co-founded the Black Studies program. Garrett Morgan Garrett Morgan is responsible for several inventions. Garret Morgan was born in Paris, Kentucky in 1877. His first invention was a hair straightening solution. October 13, 1914, he patented a Breathing Device which was the first gas mask. The patent described a hood attached to a long tube that had an opening for air and the second tube with a valve that allowed air to be exhaled. On November 20, 1923, Morgan patented the first traffic signal in the U.S. He later patented the traffic signal in England and Canada. Norbert Rillieux Norbert Rillieux invented a revolutionary new process for refining sugar. Rillieux’s most famous invention was a multiple effect evaporator, which harnessed steam energy from boiling sugarcane juice, greatly reducing refining costs. One of Rillieuxs patents was initially declined because it was believed he was a slave and therefore not a US citizen (Rillieux was free). Katherine Johnson Katherine Johnson (born August 26, 1918) made major contributions to the United States space program in the field of digital electronic computers. The book and movie Hidden Figures feature the significance of her work. Katherine Johnson (middle) at the 89th Annual Academy Awards. FilmMagic / Getty Images James West James West (born February 10, 1931) invented the microphone in the 1960s. He holds 47 US patents and over 200 foreign patents for microphones and polymer foil electrets. Wests transducers are used in over 90 percent of microphones in use today. Ernest Everett Just Ernest Just (1883-1941) was an African-American scientist and teacher. He pioneered research into cell development and fertilization. Benjamin Banneker Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) was a self-educated astronomer and mathematician. He surveyed the land that became the nations capitol. Banneker exchanged letters with Thomas Jefferson to further the cause of racial equality.

Populist Dreams And Negro Rights East Texas As A Case Study

In â€Å"Populist Dreams and Negro Rights: East Texas as a Case Study,† Lawrence Goodwyn keys in on the triumphs of the People s Party in Grimes County, Texas. I discovered Populism in Grimes County is the narrative of an interracial alliance that had its beginning in Reconstruction and persevered for more than an era. I resolved why the long post-Reconstruction period emerges as the social request that has been composed progressively along racial lines; the time period encroached as a brief gleaming light in parts of the South. I learned how some white Southerners have generally been a spread for the district s skepticism and other issues. Goodwyn establishes a viewpoint about the possible results for a greater number of individuals voting in a free society. I understand that the variables of pressure and coercion caused an end to influence at the polling stations; there was corruption occurring with vote counts. The Grimes County story significantly describes this disappoint ment; however in the understanding, it gives into the hidden legislative issues of black disfranchisement and the accomplishment of a solid single-party political environment in the American South it is not one of a kind. Throughout the time of Reconstruction, blacks in the district had accomplished a stable Republican association, headed by various clever black pioneers. At the point when Reconstruction finished and white Democrats recovered control of the state administrative apparatus in Grimes CountyShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Lawrence C. Goodwyn s The Sixties 904 Words   |  4 Pagesand populism in the southern states. Goodwyn also speaks on the evolution of the biracial movement by the name of the Populist Party as well as its abiding legacy and impact on society. Populism at one point in time simply meant the advocacy of multiple reform issues. Topics including the election of senators, worker rights, and income tax were among the few reforms led by the Populist Party. Goo dwyn briefly touches on exactly how the modern day connection to populism has evolved as well when he statesRead MoreAmerican History Eoc Study Guide5327 Words   |  22 PagesAmerican History EOC Study Guide 1) Reconstruction: A plan to reconstruct the society after the Civil War. This divided the south (except Tennessee) into 5 military districts under the control of the U.S. Army. It was the attempt to reconstruct the south, readmit the southern states back into the Union, and change the life of African Americans. (pg. 414) 2) Freedman’s Bureau: Congress created this in March of 1865 in order to provide help for thousands of poor black and white southerners

M Hill Free Essays

The† Hard Choices† essay had a better outline and gave a more interesting dead than â€Å"Initiation into Adulthood† â€Å"Initiation into Adulthood† is a very basic essay and gave the impression that is was written by a less experienced writer. I felt the paper was boring and did not keep my attention while reading each short story. The most noticeable mistake was that the paper did a plot summary for each story and never provided a conclusion or a position in any of the stories. We will write a custom essay sample on M Hill or any similar topic only for you Order Now The checklist says to use present tense verbs and this story used mostly past tense. The â€Å"Hard Choices† essay gives an analysis of each short story and provides direct quotes from the short stories. â€Å"Initiation into Adulthood† did not do a imperative analysis of the short stories. There were no literary terms used in this essay and there were no works cited. The writer did not list the authors names in the essay to give credit for their work. This essay was boring and did not really give the viewer cohesive account of what the writer was trying to convey. Hard Choices† on the other end was a good read! It was exciting it kept my attention and made me want to continue to read more. This essay followed most of the literary rules of writing, Although, I found the plot summaries for this essay to be boring as well. I really liked reading the comparative analysis ND the writer’s position for each of the short stories. The writer gave us their view of why they felt each character made the decisions that were made for each story from the ir point of view. Unlike â€Å"Initiation into Adulthood† the writer for â€Å"Hard Choices† uses present tense verbs when writing about the short stories. The writer used the necessary resources to support their view of the stories which made the writer seem reliable. The conclusion for this essay was dead on and summarizes the short stories completely and was cohesive with the rest of the essay. Am not really into literature and I don’t think I am a very good writer. Hopefully, that will change after this semester. I think something that would make both essays easier to read would be eliminating the plot summaries. Like novels and in most movies the reader/viewer does not want to have the plot given to them in the beginning. I think both essays would be a better read if their plots were a buildup and the reader was given the opportunity to read and draw their own conclusion. How to cite M Hill, Papers

Designing and Using Research Questionnaires †Free Samples to Samples

Question: Discuss about the Designing and Using Research Questionnaires. Answer: Introduction: The drivers of innovation play a hugely significant role in deciding not only the operational scopes of an organization but also its efficiency in attracting consumers and gain long-term profits. The absence of such drivers may lead an organization to experience several different kinds of organizational issues and failures. In this regard, McDonald's is one of the most reputed companies which focus on and utilize the innovation drivers efficiently. The organization has been successful in implementing diverse innovative strategies, techniques, and tools to bolster the business. Thereafter, it would be really significant to assess what aspects actually drive the innovative changes and what are the potential implications for such changes in McDonald's. The proposed research will attempt to explore the above-mentioned aspects with a specific focus on the potential issues related to such implementation. The research will be conducted on the McDonald's branch located at 3 Freshwater Place,Southbank, Melbourne. In this regard, the research will attempt to investigate the employee's opinions and perspectives about organizational innovation, its advantages and potential limitations, the extent to which McDonald's has been successful in efficiently implementing the innovative strategies or techniques, and the probable implications of utilizing such strategy. The cultural and organizational factors immensely influence the employee's perspectives about certain aspects as well as the implementation of those aspects. Therefore, it is assumed that the culturally and organization-oriented factors will also influence the perceptions developed by the McDonald's employees and these factors also determine how well the organization has been able to implement the innovations. The research will be based on mixed-method technique. The qualitative aspect of the research will focus on the perceptions of the employees while the quantitative aspect will concentrate on the factual and statistical data related to the organization. Both types of information will reflect the innovative implementation in McDonald's. The qualitative data will be collected through offline questionnaires that will be distributed among the 25 employees of the branch. On the other hand, the quantitative data will be collected through accessing the annual reports and other financial, organizational, and technical documents related to the company. The qualitative data will be analyzed through NVivo software and the quantitative data will be assessed through calculations and their interpretations. The researcher will ensure that the study conforms to all of the potential ethical considerations. In this regard, written consent will be acquired from the selected employees as well as the organization itself which will verify that the research has been conducted with their permissions as such permission ensures high reliability and validity (Naeem, 2013). Moreover, the verified and scientifically valid tools will be used for data collection and analysis. It will be also ensured that the researcher refrains from incorporating any kind of personal bias or twisting the collected information for generating some desired outcomes and thus, the validity of the data and results will be maintained (Mertens, 2005). Thus, ethical considerations, validity, and reliability will be thoroughly addressed. Although, it is assumed that the research will lead to some viable results, one potential limitation of the study is that the outcomes will not be potentially applicable to any other branch of McDonald's as well as any other organization too. The limitation arises due to the fact that organizational cultures, practices, and financial implications vary from one organization to the other as well as one branch to the other under the same company (Iljins, Skvarciany and Gaile-Sarkane, 2015). However, it will help in formulating some recommendations that will assist the professionals in developing competent strategies and approaches to adopt and implement innovations. The proposed examination would utilize both essential information and optional information to research how well McDonald's can adopt and implement innovations. The information would be gathered through offline questionnaires that were composed, guided, and circulated to the objective populace. Furthermore, the analyst would gather essential information from 25 best-performing employees who are recognized by the company and have developed an understanding of the innovations and its implications. A portion of the data that would be gathered incorporates examine information on innovative strategies, innovative approaches, client's relationship administration, and level of efficiency in using the high levels of innovation. Subjective or qualitative studies are likewise used to reveal inclines in thought and assessments and plunge further into the issue. Subjective information gathering strategies change utilizing unstructured or semi-organized systems; some basic techniques incorporate concentration gatherings, singular meetings, and investment/perceptions (Sullivan and Sargeant, 2011). On the other hand, quantitative procedures might be characterized as those methods which give the choice makes a deliberate and capable method for investigation, in light of quantitative information; it is a logical technique utilized for critical thinking and basic leadership by the administration (Wisdom et al., 2011). Besides, the mixed-method strategy is a philosophy for leading examination that includes gathering, breaking down and coordinating quantitative and subjective research (Lopez-Fernandez and Molina-Azorin, 2011). This way to deal with investigating is utilized when this reconciliation gives a superior com prehension of the examination issue than both of each alone. The proposed research will adopt the mixed-method technique in order to have a thorough understanding of the selected participants' perceptions and their connection with innovations. The primary designs for data collection tools were prepared as per the information gathered from reviewed materials. The first tools was the offline questionnaire in which there were multiple questions which were offered with multiple potential answers on a Likert scale of1 to 5. The second tool was the online survey questionnaire. In this regard, the participants were asked to participate in the online study and register their responses as per the answers provided for each question. The third tool was the report review for quantitative analysis. As per this method, the annual reports of the respective company were gathered and assessed as per their significance and implications in order to generate viable results. Furthermore, the research also ensured that my colleagues and professional mates are incorporated into the study in order to enhance the validity of the study. Those professionals were asked to provide their inputs regarding the designs and formation of the data collection tools so that the study could gather as much valid and reliable data as possible. Moreover, the colleagues were also included in the study to ensure that the professional validity of the research is not only assured by only one individual. Since the feedback and unbiased opinions of the colleagues helped in developing the strategies as well as the instruments, the engagement of these individuals was imperative. Moreover, the aspect of teamwork also came into play as it was observed that the study progressed and developed rapid pace since the colleagues were engaged as the researcher was assisted through the provision of diverse potential opinions and suggestions. The information gathering strategy is the potential method that a scientist can receive keeping in mind the end goal to gather the pertinent information, deal with them, and synchronize them to reach at some significant deductions identified with the idea that is being contemplated (Couper, 2011). Scientists pick to pick various types of information gathering techniques in view of the idea of the investigation and the setting of the members. The scientists of the sociology field select to pick the strategy for overviews if the objective populace is excessively colossal. Then again, test and observational strategies are utilized by the specialists who endeavor to direct examinations on the subjects and ideas from the unadulterated or connected science. Accordingly, every specialist ought to on a very basic level decide the information gathering strategy keeping in mind the end goal to guarantee and upgrade the dependability and legitimacy of the investigation. This examination would m ake utilization of both quantitative and subjective information. The quantitative information was assembled through the polls. Data would be collected in both numerical and textual form from the participants and reliable sources. Offline questionnaire-based surveys will be utilized as a device for information gathering. Questionnaire method goes about as a significant instrument that can have the capacity to evoke the sentiments, recognition, experience, and state of mind and conviction of an individual or a gathering of individuals with respect to a specific subject under scrutiny. Surveys were planned in a way that it could figure out how to assemble precise data on the inclination of web based promoting and advantages it has to the association. The examination utilized a limited type of electronic survey since it gathers revise data that is significant to this exploration. Confined survey frame is otherwise called shut shape; it enables the respondent to give yes or no reaction to the inquiries inquired. The arrangement of unequivocal responses to the inquiries makes it simple to classify, translate, and outline the important data that was being gotten. Preceding the circulation of the poll, a pilot testing was done to test the legitimacy and unwavering quality of the exploration questions. A portion of the upsides of utilizing online polls is that considerable measure of data might be ordered from an extensive populace inside a brief term (Rodrigo, Aranceta, Salvador, and Varela-Moreiras, 2015). The method of the offline questionnaire will be utilized as an information accumulation device to gather important information from the respondents. Surveys are thought to be important information gathering instrument that inspires and record the convictions, sincere beliefs, sentiments, motivational elements, preventive components, and the disposition of the respondents identified with the setting of the idea that is being contemplated (Rowley, 2014). The advantage of this information accumulation device is that the surveys encourage the analysts to effortlessly gather adequate measure of the applicable information from the respondents. The polls likewise enable the scientists to gather information if the example gathering or the objective gathering is too huge. The investigation of the quantitative information, acquired through polls, would be broke down by the utilization of the effective factual interpretation. The subjective information would then be dissected through legitimate perception and examination. Nonetheless, the polls are additionally effective in the matter of information examination as the surveys enable the analysts to evaluate the information as per the importance of the elements and after that legitimately dissect it to produce some huge results or discoveries (Rodrigo, Aranceta, Salvador, and Varela-Moreiras, 2015). Be that as it may, the technique for polls additionally has a few disservices. It doesn't enable the analyst to test the validity of the recorded reactions and along these lines it suggests conversation starter to the legitimacy and unwavering quality of the whole investigation (Bryman, 2015). In addition, the strategy for the surveys may turn out to be costly and tedious in various cases and along these lines, it will be unable to draw in the respondents to effectively take an interest in the investigation to enlist their reactions (Louise Hunter, 2012). Be that as it may, the constrained detriments of the surveys are effectiv ely exceeded by the tremendous extension and points of interest of this angle (Ho, 2014). This is the motivation behind why the strategy for surveys was chosen as the information accumulation instrument in the examination with a specific end goal to get quantitative information that would be broken down by thorough estimation and interpretation. The concentration aggregate exchanges were additionally chosen on the premise of a similar thinking, to some degree, keeping in mind the end goal to gather plentiful measure of subjective information that would be legitimately watched, examined, and integrated. It is critical for a specialist to attempt to gather adequate measure of direct data from different tenable sources so as to elucidate any sort of equivocalness or confounding angle identified with the examination (Taylor, Bogdan, and DeVault, 2015). The qualitative data will be analyzed through NVivo software and the quantitative data will be assessed through calculations and their i nterpretations. The information gathering instrument and the information examination methodology has been chosen on the premise of this institutionalized course. The research data and subsequent findings were also tested as per the legal requirements. Firstly, the administrative entity of the chosen organization was contacted through a letter in order to acquire permission for conducting the research. Thus, it not only met the legal requirements but also addressed the ethical obligations. Moreover, it was ensured that the annual reports of the data was assessed through scientifically accepted software systems and the findings were conveyed to the organization to make sure that the outcomes are informed to the administration before publishing it somewhere else. Thus, the primary confidentiality and subsequent requirements for gaining permission were equally considered and addressed. The influencing factors for innovative development assume an enormously huge part in choosing the operational extents of an association as well as its proficiency to pull in purchasers and increase long haul benefits. The nonappearance of such drivers may lead an association to encounter a few various types of authoritative issues and disappointments. In such manner, McDonald's is a standout amongst the most presumed organizations which concentrate on and use the advancement drivers productively. The association has been fruitful in executing assorted imaginative procedures, systems, and instruments to reinforce the business. From there on, it would be truly noteworthy to survey what viewpoints really drive the inventive changes and what are the potential ramifications for such changes in McDonald's. The proposed research will endeavor to investigate the previously mentioned perspectives with a particular concentrate on the potential issues identified with such usage. The exploration will be directed to the McDonald's branch situated at 3 Freshwater Place, Southbank, Melbourne. In such manner, the exploration will endeavor to examine the worker's feelings and points of view about authoritative development, its favorable circumstances and potential impediments, the degree to which McDonald's has been effective in proficiently actualizing the creative methodologies or strategies, and the likely ramifications of using such technique. The social and hierarchical factors enormously impact the worker's viewpoints about specific perspectives and in addition the usage of those angles. In this manner, it is accepted that the socially and association situated elements will likewise impact the discernments created by the McDonald's representatives and these components additionally decide how well the association has possessed the capacity to execute the advancements. In this context, the research question would be: How much efficient the Freshwater McDonald's have been in adopting and implementing innovations to bolster the business? The examination would be founded on blended strategy procedure. The subjective part of the exploration will concentrate on the impression of the workers while the quantitative perspective will focus on the verifiable and measurable information identified with the association. The two sorts of data will mirror the imaginative execution in McDonald's. The subjective information will be gathered through disconnected surveys that will be conveyed among the 25 workers of the branch. Then again, the quantitative information will be gathered through getting to the yearly reports and other money related, hierarchical, and specialized archives identified with the organization. The subjective information will be dissected through NVivo programming and the quantitative information will be evaluated through statistics and their meanings. The method of the offline questionnaire will be utilized as an information accumulation device to gather important information from the respondents. The benefit of this data collection gadget is that the reviews urge the examiners to easily accumulate a satisfactory measure of the relevant data from the respondents. The surveys similarly empower the researchers to accumulate data if the illustration gathering or the target gathering is excessively enormous. The examination of the quantitative data, procured through surveys, would be bankrupt around the usage of the successful accurate understanding. In any case, the procedure for surveys also has a couple of damages. It doesn't empower the investigator to test the legitimacy of the recorded responses and thusly it proposes a friendly exchange to the authenticity and faithful nature of the entire examination (Bryman, 2015). Furthermore, the methodology for the studies may end up being exorbitant and dreary in different cases and thusl y, it will not be able to attract the respondents to adequately appreciate the examination to enroll their responses (Louise Hunter, 2012) The data collected from the employees as well as from the company reports suggest that the branch has effectively implemented various innovative strategies and approaches for innovations. In this regard, it has been found out that after the implementation of relevant techniques, although the NEG variance increased by $86.93, several other aspects demonstrated significant hints for improvement. Furthermore, it has also been found out that the expenses regarding paper costs, waste management, and GP also reduced. It suggests that the company has implemented such techniques which do not only help in improving diverse aspects of the business but also assists in increasing the monetary returns. Furthermore, the data shows that the average monthly labor reduced by 0.10% as compared to the previous month. Furthermore, it has also been observed that while the accuracy of work has reduced by a slight margin (6%), the aspects of cleanliness and friendliness have increased by 14% and 4% respect ively. It suggests that the company has focused on maintaining hygiene and providing assisting services to all of the customers in a friendly manner. Furthermore, it has also been found out that the duration of peak business has increased by at least 3 seconds. In this manner, the extent of the sales during the enhanced period and the level of profit has both yielded significant results. Moreover, the research suggests that as per the employees, their organization has been efficient in adopting and implementing innovative services as well as features in order to not only extend the business but also to increase satisfaction among the consumers. The adoption of innovative strategies, instruments, and techniques has helped the organization to ensure high-quality cleanliness and extended waste management which, in turn, attracted more consumers leading to an increase in the duration of peak business which determines greater profits. Although the research has yielded some positive and significant results, the outcomes might not be applicable to other scenarios as the organizational culture varies as per the settings, perceptions, and practices. In this manner, the outcomes cannot be generalized. However, the professionals might learn from this case and develop a more comprehensive understanding of how to select, adopt, and implement innovations by controlling its drivers to ensure an extension in the business. The academic experts can also comprehend how to assess the adoption and implementation of innovation by an organization and what are the necessary factors that determine the success. Therefore, more extensive studies need to be conducted on a broader scale in order to yield generalizable results which would lead to common recommendations for bolstering the business at all levels and settings. References Bryman, A. (2015) Social research methods. Oxford: Oxford university press. Couper, M.P. (2011) The future of modes of data collection, Public Opinion Quarterly, 75(5), pp. 889908. Ho, J. K. K. (2014) 'A Research Note on Face book-based questionnaire survey for academic research in business studies', European Academic Research, 2(7), pp. 9243-9257. Iljins, J., Skvarciany, V. and Gaile-Sarkane, E. (2015). Impact of Organizational Culture on Organizational Climate During the Process of Change.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 213, pp.944-950. Kothari, C.R. (2013). Research Methodology; Methods and Technique. New Delhi: New International Publisher. Lopez-Fernandez, O. and Molina-Azorin, J. (2011). The use of mixed methods research in interdisciplinary educational journals.International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 5(2), pp.269-283. Louise Hunter, M. A. (2012) 'Challenging the reported disadvantages of e-questionnaires and addressing methodological issues of online data collection', Nurse researcher, 20(1), p. 11. Mertens, D.M. (2005) Research methods in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative and qualitative approaches, (2nd ed.) Thousand Oaks: Sage. Naeem, N. (2013) 'Validity, reliability, feasibility, acceptability and educational impact of direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS)', J Coll Physicians Surg Pak, 23(1), pp. 77-82. Rodrigo, C. P., Aranceta, J., Salvador, G., Varela-Moreiras, G. (2015) 'Food frequency questionnaires', Nutr Hosp, 31(Supl 3), pp. 49-56. Rowley, J. (2014) Designing and using research questionnaires, Management Research Review, 37(3), pp. 308330. Sullivan, G. and Sargeant, J. (2011). Qualities of Qualitative Research: Part I.Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 3(4), pp.449-452. Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., DeVault, M. (2015) Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. New York: John Wiley Sons. Wisdom, J., Cavaleri, M., Onwuegbuzie, A. and Green, C. (2011). Methodological Reporting in Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Health Services Research Articles.Health Services Research, 47(2), pp.721-745.

Symbolization in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay Example

Symbolization in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay Symbolization in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Symbolism is a literary technique used in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to give a deeper significance to the plot. The poem is littered with symbolisms. The symbols juxtapose one another and provide structure and symmetry within the story. The symbolisms also have specific historical context that adds to the story line and influences how the reader interprets the poem. Sir Gawain’s pentangle on his shield and the acceptance of the girdle from Lord Bertilak’s lady are two of the most prominent symbols presented to us in this authors tale. The pentangle painted in pure gold on Sir Gawain’s shield and embroidered on his shawl can be seen as a symbol of Gawain’s perfection and power over evil. According to Garald Morgan, â€Å"Gawain’s courtesy is associated with his virtue in the symbolic device of the pentangle in his shield. † (Morgan 770) The poet uses 46 lines to describe the meaning of the pentangle. No other symbol in the poem is described in such detail. Such a long explanation seems out of place in a poem full of fast-paced action, beheadings and temptations. The narrator acknowledges this but proceeds to delve into his description after establishing a disclaimer: â€Å"And why the pentangle was appropriate to that prince I intend now to say, though it will stall our story. † (Armitage 623-4) This passage alerts the reader to pay attention; the symbolic meaning of the pentangle is important to a proper understanding of the narrators message. The poet illustrates the pentangle as a symbol of faithfulness and an â€Å"endless knot† saying, â€Å"It suits this soldier in his spotless armor/fully faithful in five ways five times over. (Armitage 631) The five points of the pentangle represent five virtues attributed to Gawain. Gawains life at this point is the perfect application of the virtues the pentangle signifies. The poet states, â€Å"the figure is a five-pointed star and each line overlaps and links with the last so it is ever eternal,† (Armitage 627) and then goes on to say, â€Å"So these five sets of five were fixed in this knight, each linked to the last through the endless line† The pentangle is a unity in which all parts are interrelated just as the spiritual, moral and social qualities are united in Gawain. We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolization in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolization in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolization in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the poet’s account of the â€Å"five sets of five† he specifies the spiritual, moral and social virtues that constitute the pentangle by including religious faith in lines 642-643 and the operation of the senses in line 640. The first attributes mentioned in the â€Å"five sets of five† is being flawless in the five senses and his five fingers never being at fault. According to Morgan’s interpretation of the poem he states, â€Å"From the poet’s attribution to his hero of perfection in the five senses it would seem that we are to understand that Gawain does not sin through mere sensual gratification† (Morgan 774). What he is saying is, Gawain is able to appropriately control his sensitive desires by reason. Next, the five wounds of Christ and the five joys of Mary specify religious dimension. This appeal to faith symbolized by the pentangle is not at all out of the ordinary as we can see from other works of this time; â€Å"the appeal of metaphor and symbol was especially strong in a time that not only drew on the treasuries of the Christian tradition and classical literature and mythology, but invented the new â€Å"sign- language† which was one of its real innovations. † (Bruce 15) These aspects of Gawain’s chivalry are the source of his courage. A lot of attention is given to this, suggesting that, â€Å"courage is a significant element in the moral scheme of the poem† (Morgan 775). The fifth set of five presents five virtues: fraunchyse or friendship, felawshyp or fraternity, clannes or purity, cortaysye or politeness and pite or pity; all of which have a specific social extension in the poem. That is to say, the five qualities are relevant to the subsequent events of the poem. Following the beheading test at the Green Chapel, Gawain accuses himself of â€Å"cortayse† and â€Å"cowarddyse† for his acceptance of the girdle. As translated by Simon Armitage, he says, â€Å"A curse upon cowardice and covetousness† (Armitage 2374). He claims the girdle as his downfall stating, â€Å"I gave into greed, and in doing so forgot the fidelity and kindness which every knight knows† (2380-1). We see Gawain’s failing in friendship and fraternity with his failed loyalty to Bertilak by accepting the girdle. According to Conor McCarthy’s interpretation, fraunchyse and felawshyp are linked on the pentangle because â€Å"it is in these two senses that Gawain will fail in his quest. (McCarthy 299) In this context then, it could be said that clannes and cortaysye are paired together because Gawain succeeds in preserving both qualities, despite temptation. The final quality attributed to Gawain is pite, translated as pity by Armitage. The word pite is rather ambiguous, and although Armitage translates it as pity, meaning compassion (an important attribute for a chivalric knight), it seams as a w hole that piety, meaning moral virtue or faithfulness, is a better fit for the poem. Piety draws us back to Gawain’s religious faith which in a sense links the other four qualities. Not only is the pentangle a symbol in itself clearly described by the poet, it is also often times linked as a symbol to magical traditions. The Gawain poet states, â€Å"It is a symbol that Solomon once set in place† (Armitage 625). Some scholars claim that the pentangle had magical defense against evil spirits. This could be supported by the inclusion of Solomon in the poem. Solomon, the third king of Isreal, in 10th century BC, was said to have the mark of the pentagram on his ring, which he received from Archangel Michael. The ring was said to give Solomon power over demons. The reason why the pentangle, in popular superstitions, has come to be adopted as a mystical symbol to ward off evil is not hard to see when we consider other medieval symbolism. The number five itself is deeply significant in medieval numerology. V. F. Hopper points out how important numbers were in medieval thought. He states that numbers were deeply rooted in medieval thought â€Å"not as mathematical tools, nor as the counters in a game, but as fundamental realities, alive with memories and eloquent with meaning† (Hopper viii). According to Hopper, the most potent numbers in magic appear to have been three, four, five seven and nine. Of the number â€Å"five† he states as a â€Å"holy† number in the east. The number five was also said to be â€Å"incorruptible by virtue of its reoccurrence in multiplication† (Kitely 45). The question of how the magical side of the pentangle affects one’s reading of the poem is important to look at. Also important to question is why the poet focuses on the moral aspects of the pentangle and not the magical ones. Kitely notes, â€Å"Gawain sets out to meet a magical creature of unknown power†¦he is a creature of malignant magic. What more suitable device could Gawain, therefore, bear than the five pointed pentangle†¦Gawain therefore leaves with the dual moral-magical defense of the pentangle. Superstition and philosophy are equally satisfied† (Kitely 47). The poet reveals through the poem that magic of itself is insufficient to combat against another species of magic. Kitely says, â€Å"Paradoxally, the poet has revealed that he was after all, correct to focus on the moral and religious side of the pentangle. (Kitely 49) If Gawain had placed total reliance on this thought, then he would have been unscathed. The pentangle might have seemed like a dual symbol of defense, but it is ultimately only reliable in its moral defense. Medieval audiences who knew of the magical association might have been left feeling that only total reliance on Christian virtue would help when faced with uncertainty in medieval times. Kitely affirms saying, â€Å"In the poem, as it stands, the magical side of the pentangle serves to underline the basic moral themes. (Kitely 50) It seems that rather than clashing with the moral side, the magical aspect emphasizes the poet’s attitude towards superstition and a reliance on aids other than Christian virtue, as we see costly toward Gawain. There is an ingenious symmetry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and can be seen prominently between the pentangle and the green girdle. The poet spends 46 lines carefully, and almost laboriously, expounding the symbolism of the pentang le and yet he says nothing explicitly about the girdle. Its symbolic value is simply what Gawain assigns it and what the reader believes it to be. Jan Solomon calls the girdle â€Å"the thematic and symbolic nexus of the poem† (Solomon 274). The girdle is a tangible object upon which the climax of the poem focuses. The girdle unites two major plot lines, the temptation and the beheading game, and yet the girdle remains somewhat of a debated mystery. The anonymity of the author has allowed more latitude for scholars to make it what they will. Some scholars such as Roger Loomis (pg. 154) and Larry Benson (pg. 40) believe the girdle to be a â€Å"love token†. Martin Stevens however, contests references to the girdle as a â€Å"sexual symbol† or â€Å"sexual trophy† (Stevens 77). He believes such descriptions arise from confusing the medieval girdle with the modern undergarment. According to the medieval dictionary, a girdle is â€Å"a belt worn around the waist, used for fastening clothes or for carrying a sword, purse, etc. † Considering the girdles importance in the poem it is a good idea to fully understand the nature and meaning of the girdle more precisely. This will provide a better conception of what the girdle really was and what it symbolized and should affect how one reads the poem. We can all concede that the girdle is a belt of some sort. We see it then as an accessory. Originally, however, the girdle was not worn for warmth or ornament but as a magical binding either as a protective amulet or sign of the individual’s mystical incorporation into a social group. Later leaves or cloth panels were attached for modesty’s sake. Wilhelm Wundt states, â€Å"the celtic use of champion belts among the Greeks and Semites, even the Church’s corona of tonsure, derive from the principle of binding or encircling as magically promoting divine protection and positive good fortune† (Wundt 86) This is true in other parts of the ancient world as well. The wrapping of the toga by the Romans can also be seen as a species of engirdling magic. Zoroastrians had a similar custom; at the initiation rite by which a Cathar became a perfectus, the initiate was â€Å"girt† about the body with a thread, which was called his garment. (Onians 453) The girdles magic can even be seen in the Bible when God has Jeremiah carry out with his linen girdle to demonstrate that â€Å"as the girdle clingeth to the loins of men, so have I cause to cleave unto the house of Judah† (XIII 1-11) and in Isaiah’s prediction â€Å"And the Righteous shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins† (XI. ). These passages have been analyzed by Onians: â€Å"God and medicine man use the same means and no less in blessing than in cursing† (Onians 367). The girdle, as one can see, in some form or another is littered throughout pre medieval history and literature. The archaic magical force of girdling continued then into the Middle Ages. Male girdles began to represent sovereignty, authority and power. Freidman and Osberg state, â€Å"To get someone’s head under your girdle meant to conquer him† (Freidman and Osberg 304). A vassal, or one who entered into mutual obligations with a monarch, was supposed to take off his belt in the presence of his suzerain, or superior. From Roman times to medieval romances foot soldiers surrendered by unfastening the cords around their hips which held up their undergarments. The woman’s girdles on the other hand, involve somewhat different magical and symbolic associations. The girdle of Ishtar, the goddess of fertility, love, war and sex, became a girdle of fertility. When she unfastened it in the underworld, the earth became infertile. The most famous of all girdles, the cestus of Aphrodite-Urania, became as early as Homer a â€Å"gurdel of lecherie†, excluding all enticements of lust. (Freidman and Osberg 304) It also is seen frequently in medieval and Renaissance poetry. The proponent girdle was the maiden’s sash or belt. According to Freidman and Osberg, it was â€Å"an amulet to preserve by advertising the virginity of the wearer, it was credited with, among other things, holding wolves at bay† (Freidman and Osberg). Another instance of the girdle can be found in religious legends as such: the maiden rescued by Lydgate’s St. George was able to lead the dragon into the city by her girdle. The girdle was also seen as a husband’s trophy, suggestive of the sexual act and fertility and a pledge of marital chastity. Interestingly enough, in medieval England prostitutes were forbidden to wear girdles of any sorts. Now, with all of that history at the forefront we have to ask; what fashion of girdle was the one Gawain received from Bertilak’s lady and what did it symbolize? Can this question even be answered or is it to be left to the readers’ interpretation? The connotations of the girdle explain why the lady wanted Gawain to conceal it from her husband and why Gawain finds her request completely legitimate. Gawain felt justified in concealing it for upon showing it to Bertilak, he would surely think things that never were. Gawain’s overriding reason for keeping the girdle was to preserve his own life and to level the playing ground with the Green Knight. The magical connotations of the girdle strengthen his rationalizations. By an understandably devious process, the girdle becomes exclusively associated in Gawain’s mind with the adventure of the Green Chapel, not as a relevant item in the exchange agreement, which is just a game. The girdle complicates the motivating impulses and refracts the lines of moral action. With the acceptance and concealment of the girdle Gawain is removed from the unnatural category of systematic perfection, as symbolized by the pentangle, and brought into the reach of human relatability. According to Friedman and Osberg, â€Å"his final succumbing to the lady’s wiles to the extent of accepting the girdle, retrospectively soils the resolute but polite skill with which he had parried her onslaught up to that event† (Friedman and Osberg 312). The possession of the girdle, even though it is left ambiguous how much Gawain really trusts the magic of it, could be seen to undercut his bravery. Although it could also be said that it is no more cowardly than relying on the pentangle to give him strength. Aside from the connotations associated with the girdle, the fashion in which Gawain wears it is also important to discuss. It is easy to fall into the error of believing that the girdle is concealed under his armor when he leaves the castle. We are deceived by the fact that Gawain initially conceals it from Bertilak. Gawain, in fact, wears it on the outside. The poet explains that he wraps himself with the girdle after he clothes himself with his coat which was emblazed with the pentangle. He wraps it over his coat, which is a symbol of his parting from the virtues of the pentangle. Spiritually and physically the girdle superseded the pentangle. Gawain wearing it in sight also shows his reliance on the magical symbol of the girdle. As Gawain sets out for the Chapel he notably displays is to bring the magical influence into play. This indicates that he does have some faith in the girdle’s magical implications, though these implications prove to be trumped in the end just like those of the pentangle. There is symbolic polarity between the image of the pentangle and the image of the girdle given to Gawain by Bertilak’s wife in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The pentangle or â€Å"endless knot† illustrates Gawain’s virtuous perfection and the girdle becomes an indication of the knight’s lapse of perfection. There is however a significant link between the two symbols. Both of the figures’ definitions change by the end of the poem. The shield and the girdle are real objects and function in the poem as living articulate symbols dynamically paired. The pentangle evokes the chivalric ideal. In the beginning, when Gawain sets out on his quest, the pentangle is emblematic of his knightly virtue. He is seen as a flawless knight. Gawain embarks on his adventure and along the way deviously accepts a girdle from Lord Bertilak’s lady. Upon his meeting with the Green Knight at the Chapel, his blunder is revealed and the girdle becomes emblematic of his fault. The whole movement of the story hangs upon his yielding to temptation, accepting the girdle, and having his failing revealed to him. When we reach this point the poem is shifted and the meaning behind the two symbols is altered. The pentangles â€Å"endless knot† is seemingly broken. In desperation to save his own life, we see Gawain fail in friendship and fraternity, two parts of the pentangle that are placed together. The pentangle, which once symbolized his faithfulness and honor, is broken and morphed into a reminder of his shortcomings. The girdle, on the other hand, starts out as a symbol of Gawain’s imperfection and fault. When Bertilak reveals himself as the Green Knight and confronts Gawain for the acceptance of his wife’s girdle, Gawain says, â€Å"My downfall and undoing; let the devil take it† about the girdle. The girdle is a sign of Gawain’s sin. On his homeward journey Gawain wears the girdle across his chest and knotted at the hip. When he arrives back in Camelot he recounts his trip to the Green Chapel and describes the girdle as a band of shame. King Arthur and the rest of the court laughs and provides comfort to lift their noble knight. The girdle changes to a symbol of honor. It is redefined by the collective as a symbol of greatness. Collectively the brotherhood had the power to bear the shame and wear the girdle as a symbol of nobility. Sir Gawain’s pentangle on his shield and the girdle given to him by Bertilak’s wife are two of the most prominent symbols presented to us in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The pentangle’s appropriateness to Gawain is outlined in an explanation of its fivefold symbolism. The author goes to great lengths to illustrate the importance of the pentangle. The pentangle in its self is a symbol of Christian perfection. Also, it would have magical implications to the readers familiar with medieval superstition. Knowing the â€Å"other† characterization of the pentangle can change how the reader perceives the text. The girdle also has magical and historical connotations that affect the way the poem is read; proving that the history behind certain aspects of the poem was important to the poet’s overall moral of the story. The one question that remains is; if the girdle is so important to the poem, then why does the poet go to the painstaking lengths to lay out the symbol of the pentangle, but leave the meaning of the girdle open to our interpretation? The symbol of the pentangle is artificial and therefore must be meticulously defined, whereas the meaning of the girdle defines itself in the eyes of the reader. The two symbols are juxtaposed throughout the poem and their meanings oppose each other to provide a symbolic representation of the moral of the story. That is, human reality is not pure Christian perfection, neither is it absolute shame on those who sin, but it is found somewhere in between. Symbolization in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay Example Symbolization in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Paper Symbolization in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Symbolism is a literary technique used in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to give a deeper significance to the plot. The poem is littered with symbolisms. The symbols juxtapose one another and provide structure and symmetry within the story. The symbolisms also have specific historical context that adds to the story line and influences how the reader interprets the poem. Sir Gawain’s pentangle on his shield and the acceptance of the girdle from Lord Bertilak’s lady are two of the most prominent symbols presented to us in this authors tale. The pentangle painted in pure gold on Sir Gawain’s shield and embroidered on his shawl can be seen as a symbol of Gawain’s perfection and power over evil. According to Garald Morgan, â€Å"Gawain’s courtesy is associated with his virtue in the symbolic device of the pentangle in his shield. † (Morgan 770) The poet uses 46 lines to describe the meaning of the pentangle. No other symbol in the poem is described in such detail. Such a long explanation seems out of place in a poem full of fast-paced action, beheadings and temptations. The narrator acknowledges this but proceeds to delve into his description after establishing a disclaimer: â€Å"And why the pentangle was appropriate to that prince I intend now to say, though it will stall our story. † (Armitage 623-4) This passage alerts the reader to pay attention; the symbolic meaning of the pentangle is important to a proper understanding of the narrators message. The poet illustrates the pentangle as a symbol of faithfulness and an â€Å"endless knot† saying, â€Å"It suits this soldier in his spotless armor/fully faithful in five ways five times over. (Armitage 631) The five points of the pentangle represent five virtues attributed to Gawain. Gawains life at this point is the perfect application of the virtues the pentangle signifies. The poet states, â€Å"the figure is a five-pointed star and each line overlaps and links with the last so it is ever eternal,† (Armitage 627) and then goes on to say, â€Å"So these five sets of five were fixed in this knight, each linked to the last through the endless line† The pentangle is a unity in which all parts are interrelated just as the spiritual, moral and social qualities are united in Gawain. We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolization in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolization in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolization in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the poet’s account of the â€Å"five sets of five† he specifies the spiritual, moral and social virtues that constitute the pentangle by including religious faith in lines 642-643 and the operation of the senses in line 640. The first attributes mentioned in the â€Å"five sets of five† is being flawless in the five senses and his five fingers never being at fault. According to Morgan’s interpretation of the poem he states, â€Å"From the poet’s attribution to his hero of perfection in the five senses it would seem that we are to understand that Gawain does not sin through mere sensual gratification† (Morgan 774). What he is saying is, Gawain is able to appropriately control his sensitive desires by reason. Next, the five wounds of Christ and the five joys of Mary specify religious dimension. This appeal to faith symbolized by the pentangle is not at all out of the ordinary as we can see from other works of this time; â€Å"the appeal of metaphor and symbol was especially strong in a time that not only drew on the treasuries of the Christian tradition and classical literature and mythology, but invented the new â€Å"sign- language† which was one of its real innovations. † (Bruce 15) These aspects of Gawain’s chivalry are the source of his courage. A lot of attention is given to this, suggesting that, â€Å"courage is a significant element in the moral scheme of the poem† (Morgan 775). The fifth set of five presents five virtues: fraunchyse or friendship, felawshyp or fraternity, clannes or purity, cortaysye or politeness and pite or pity; all of which have a specific social extension in the poem. That is to say, the five qualities are relevant to the subsequent events of the poem. Following the beheading test at the Green Chapel, Gawain accuses himself of â€Å"cortayse† and â€Å"cowarddyse† for his acceptance of the girdle. As translated by Simon Armitage, he says, â€Å"A curse upon cowardice and covetousness† (Armitage 2374). He claims the girdle as his downfall stating, â€Å"I gave into greed, and in doing so forgot the fidelity and kindness which every knight knows† (2380-1). We see Gawain’s failing in friendship and fraternity with his failed loyalty to Bertilak by accepting the girdle. According to Conor McCarthy’s interpretation, fraunchyse and felawshyp are linked on the pentangle because â€Å"it is in these two senses that Gawain will fail in his quest. (McCarthy 299) In this context then, it could be said that clannes and cortaysye are paired together because Gawain succeeds in preserving both qualities, despite temptation. The final quality attributed to Gawain is pite, translated as pity by Armitage. The word pite is rather ambiguous, and although Armitage translates it as pity, meaning compassion (an important attribute for a chivalric knight), it seams as a w hole that piety, meaning moral virtue or faithfulness, is a better fit for the poem. Piety draws us back to Gawain’s religious faith which in a sense links the other four qualities. Not only is the pentangle a symbol in itself clearly described by the poet, it is also often times linked as a symbol to magical traditions. The Gawain poet states, â€Å"It is a symbol that Solomon once set in place† (Armitage 625). Some scholars claim that the pentangle had magical defense against evil spirits. This could be supported by the inclusion of Solomon in the poem. Solomon, the third king of Isreal, in 10th century BC, was said to have the mark of the pentagram on his ring, which he received from Archangel Michael. The ring was said to give Solomon power over demons. The reason why the pentangle, in popular superstitions, has come to be adopted as a mystical symbol to ward off evil is not hard to see when we consider other medieval symbolism. The number five itself is deeply significant in medieval numerology. V. F. Hopper points out how important numbers were in medieval thought. He states that numbers were deeply rooted in medieval thought â€Å"not as mathematical tools, nor as the counters in a game, but as fundamental realities, alive with memories and eloquent with meaning† (Hopper viii). According to Hopper, the most potent numbers in magic appear to have been three, four, five seven and nine. Of the number â€Å"five† he states as a â€Å"holy† number in the east. The number five was also said to be â€Å"incorruptible by virtue of its reoccurrence in multiplication† (Kitely 45). The question of how the magical side of the pentangle affects one’s reading of the poem is important to look at. Also important to question is why the poet focuses on the moral aspects of the pentangle and not the magical ones. Kitely notes, â€Å"Gawain sets out to meet a magical creature of unknown power†¦he is a creature of malignant magic. What more suitable device could Gawain, therefore, bear than the five pointed pentangle†¦Gawain therefore leaves with the dual moral-magical defense of the pentangle. Superstition and philosophy are equally satisfied† (Kitely 47). The poet reveals through the poem that magic of itself is insufficient to combat against another species of magic. Kitely says, â€Å"Paradoxally, the poet has revealed that he was after all, correct to focus on the moral and religious side of the pentangle. (Kitely 49) If Gawain had placed total reliance on this thought, then he would have been unscathed. The pentangle might have seemed like a dual symbol of defense, but it is ultimately only reliable in its moral defense. Medieval audiences who knew of the magical association might have been left feeling that only total reliance on Christian virtue would help when faced with uncertainty in medieval times. Kitely affirms saying, â€Å"In the poem, as it stands, the magical side of the pentangle serves to underline the basic moral themes. (Kitely 50) It seems that rather than clashing with the moral side, the magical aspect emphasizes the poet’s attitude towards superstition and a reliance on aids other than Christian virtue, as we see costly toward Gawain. There is an ingenious symmetry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and can be seen prominently between the pentangle and the green girdle. The poet spends 46 lines carefully, and almost laboriously, expounding the symbolism of the pentang le and yet he says nothing explicitly about the girdle. Its symbolic value is simply what Gawain assigns it and what the reader believes it to be. Jan Solomon calls the girdle â€Å"the thematic and symbolic nexus of the poem† (Solomon 274). The girdle is a tangible object upon which the climax of the poem focuses. The girdle unites two major plot lines, the temptation and the beheading game, and yet the girdle remains somewhat of a debated mystery. The anonymity of the author has allowed more latitude for scholars to make it what they will. Some scholars such as Roger Loomis (pg. 154) and Larry Benson (pg. 40) believe the girdle to be a â€Å"love token†. Martin Stevens however, contests references to the girdle as a â€Å"sexual symbol† or â€Å"sexual trophy† (Stevens 77). He believes such descriptions arise from confusing the medieval girdle with the modern undergarment. According to the medieval dictionary, a girdle is â€Å"a belt worn around the waist, used for fastening clothes or for carrying a sword, purse, etc. † Considering the girdles importance in the poem it is a good idea to fully understand the nature and meaning of the girdle more precisely. This will provide a better conception of what the girdle really was and what it symbolized and should affect how one reads the poem. We can all concede that the girdle is a belt of some sort. We see it then as an accessory. Originally, however, the girdle was not worn for warmth or ornament but as a magical binding either as a protective amulet or sign of the individual’s mystical incorporation into a social group. Later leaves or cloth panels were attached for modesty’s sake. Wilhelm Wundt states, â€Å"the celtic use of champion belts among the Greeks and Semites, even the Church’s corona of tonsure, derive from the principle of binding or encircling as magically promoting divine protection and positive good fortune† (Wundt 86) This is true in other parts of the ancient world as well. The wrapping of the toga by the Romans can also be seen as a species of engirdling magic. Zoroastrians had a similar custom; at the initiation rite by which a Cathar became a perfectus, the initiate was â€Å"girt† about the body with a thread, which was called his garment. (Onians 453) The girdles magic can even be seen in the Bible when God has Jeremiah carry out with his linen girdle to demonstrate that â€Å"as the girdle clingeth to the loins of men, so have I cause to cleave unto the house of Judah† (XIII 1-11) and in Isaiah’s prediction â€Å"And the Righteous shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins† (XI. ). These passages have been analyzed by Onians: â€Å"God and medicine man use the same means and no less in blessing than in cursing† (Onians 367). The girdle, as one can see, in some form or another is littered throughout pre medieval history and literature. The archaic magical force of girdling continued then into the Middle Ages. Male girdles began to represent sovereignty, authority and power. Freidman and Osberg state, â€Å"To get someone’s head under your girdle meant to conquer him† (Freidman and Osberg 304). A vassal, or one who entered into mutual obligations with a monarch, was supposed to take off his belt in the presence of his suzerain, or superior. From Roman times to medieval romances foot soldiers surrendered by unfastening the cords around their hips which held up their undergarments. The woman’s girdles on the other hand, involve somewhat different magical and symbolic associations. The girdle of Ishtar, the goddess of fertility, love, war and sex, became a girdle of fertility. When she unfastened it in the underworld, the earth became infertile. The most famous of all girdles, the cestus of Aphrodite-Urania, became as early as Homer a â€Å"gurdel of lecherie†, excluding all enticements of lust. (Freidman and Osberg 304) It also is seen frequently in medieval and Renaissance poetry. The proponent girdle was the maiden’s sash or belt. According to Freidman and Osberg, it was â€Å"an amulet to preserve by advertising the virginity of the wearer, it was credited with, among other things, holding wolves at bay† (Freidman and Osberg). Another instance of the girdle can be found in religious legends as such: the maiden rescued by Lydgate’s St. George was able to lead the dragon into the city by her girdle. The girdle was also seen as a husband’s trophy, suggestive of the sexual act and fertility and a pledge of marital chastity. Interestingly enough, in medieval England prostitutes were forbidden to wear girdles of any sorts. Now, with all of that history at the forefront we have to ask; what fashion of girdle was the one Gawain received from Bertilak’s lady and what did it symbolize? Can this question even be answered or is it to be left to the readers’ interpretation? The connotations of the girdle explain why the lady wanted Gawain to conceal it from her husband and why Gawain finds her request completely legitimate. Gawain felt justified in concealing it for upon showing it to Bertilak, he would surely think things that never were. Gawain’s overriding reason for keeping the girdle was to preserve his own life and to level the playing ground with the Green Knight. The magical connotations of the girdle strengthen his rationalizations. By an understandably devious process, the girdle becomes exclusively associated in Gawain’s mind with the adventure of the Green Chapel, not as a relevant item in the exchange agreement, which is just a game. The girdle complicates the motivating impulses and refracts the lines of moral action. With the acceptance and concealment of the girdle Gawain is removed from the unnatural category of systematic perfection, as symbolized by the pentangle, and brought into the reach of human relatability. According to Friedman and Osberg, â€Å"his final succumbing to the lady’s wiles to the extent of accepting the girdle, retrospectively soils the resolute but polite skill with which he had parried her onslaught up to that event† (Friedman and Osberg 312). The possession of the girdle, even though it is left ambiguous how much Gawain really trusts the magic of it, could be seen to undercut his bravery. Although it could also be said that it is no more cowardly than relying on the pentangle to give him strength. Aside from the connotations associated with the girdle, the fashion in which Gawain wears it is also important to discuss. It is easy to fall into the error of believing that the girdle is concealed under his armor when he leaves the castle. We are deceived by the fact that Gawain initially conceals it from Bertilak. Gawain, in fact, wears it on the outside. The poet explains that he wraps himself with the girdle after he clothes himself with his coat which was emblazed with the pentangle. He wraps it over his coat, which is a symbol of his parting from the virtues of the pentangle. Spiritually and physically the girdle superseded the pentangle. Gawain wearing it in sight also shows his reliance on the magical symbol of the girdle. As Gawain sets out for the Chapel he notably displays is to bring the magical influence into play. This indicates that he does have some faith in the girdle’s magical implications, though these implications prove to be trumped in the end just like those of the pentangle. There is symbolic polarity between the image of the pentangle and the image of the girdle given to Gawain by Bertilak’s wife in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The pentangle or â€Å"endless knot† illustrates Gawain’s virtuous perfection and the girdle becomes an indication of the knight’s lapse of perfection. There is however a significant link between the two symbols. Both of the figures’ definitions change by the end of the poem. The shield and the girdle are real objects and function in the poem as living articulate symbols dynamically paired. The pentangle evokes the chivalric ideal. In the beginning, when Gawain sets out on his quest, the pentangle is emblematic of his knightly virtue. He is seen as a flawless knight. Gawain embarks on his adventure and along the way deviously accepts a girdle from Lord Bertilak’s lady. Upon his meeting with the Green Knight at the Chapel, his blunder is revealed and the girdle becomes emblematic of his fault. The whole movement of the story hangs upon his yielding to temptation, accepting the girdle, and having his failing revealed to him. When we reach this point the poem is shifted and the meaning behind the two symbols is altered. The pentangles â€Å"endless knot† is seemingly broken. In desperation to save his own life, we see Gawain fail in friendship and fraternity, two parts of the pentangle that are placed together. The pentangle, which once symbolized his faithfulness and honor, is broken and morphed into a reminder of his shortcomings. The girdle, on the other hand, starts out as a symbol of Gawain’s imperfection and fault. When Bertilak reveals himself as the Green Knight and confronts Gawain for the acceptance of his wife’s girdle, Gawain says, â€Å"My downfall and undoing; let the devil take it† about the girdle. The girdle is a sign of Gawain’s sin. On his homeward journey Gawain wears the girdle across his chest and knotted at the hip. When he arrives back in Camelot he recounts his trip to the Green Chapel and describes the girdle as a band of shame. King Arthur and the rest of the court laughs and provides comfort to lift their noble knight. The girdle changes to a symbol of honor. It is redefined by the collective as a symbol of greatness. Collectively the brotherhood had the power to bear the shame and wear the girdle as a symbol of nobility. Sir Gawain’s pentangle on his shield and the girdle given to him by Bertilak’s wife are two of the most prominent symbols presented to us in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The pentangle’s appropriateness to Gawain is outlined in an explanation of its fivefold symbolism. The author goes to great lengths to illustrate the importance of the pentangle. The pentangle in its self is a symbol of Christian perfection. Also, it would have magical implications to the readers familiar with medieval superstition. Knowing the â€Å"other† characterization of the pentangle can change how the reader perceives the text. The girdle also has magical and historical connotations that affect the way the poem is read; proving that the history behind certain aspects of the poem was important to the poet’s overall moral of the story. The one question that remains is; if the girdle is so important to the poem, then why does the poet go to the painstaking lengths to lay out the symbol of the pentangle, but leave the meaning of the girdle open to our interpretation? The symbol of the pentangle is artificial and therefore must be meticulously defined, whereas the meaning of the girdle defines itself in the eyes of the reader. The two symbols are juxtaposed throughout the poem and their meanings oppose each other to provide a symbolic representation of the moral of the story. That is, human reality is not pure Christian perfection, neither is it absolute shame on those who sin, but it is found somewhere in between.

Introducing Shakespeares Globe Theatre

Introducing Shakespeare's Globe Theatre For over 400 years Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre has witnessed Shakespeare’s popularity and endurance. Today, tourists can visit Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London – a faithful reconstruction of the original building sited just a few hundred yards from the original location. Essential Facts: The Globe Theatre was: Able to hold 3,000 spectators Approximately 100 feet in diameterThree stories high Open air Stealing The Globe Theatre Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre was built in Bankside, London in 1598. Remarkably, it was built from the materials salvaged from a theater of similar design just across the River Thames in Shoreditch. The original building, simply named The Theatre, was constructed in 1576 by the Burbage family – a few years later a young William Shakespeare joined Burbage’s acting company. A long-standing dispute over ownership and an expired lease caused problems for Burbage’s troupe and in 1598 the company decided to take matters into their own hands. On 28 December 1598, the Burbage family and a team of carpenters dismantled The Theatre in the dead of night and carried the timbers over the river. The stolen theater was rebuilt and renamed The Globe. To raise finance for the new project, Burbage sold shares in the building – and the business-savvy Shakespeare invested alongside three other actors. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre – A Sad End! The Globe Theatre burnt down in 1613 when a stage special effect went disastrously wrong. A cannon used for a performance of Henry VIII set light to the thatched roof and the fire quickly spread. Reportedly, it took less than two hours for the building to completely burn to the ground! Industrious as ever, the company quickly bounced back and rebuilt The Globe with a tiled roof. However, the building fell into disuse in 1642 when the Puritans closed all theaters in England. Sadly, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre was demolished two years later in 1644 to make room for tenements. Rebuilding Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre It was not until 1989 that the foundations of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre were discovered in Bankside. The discovery spurred the late Sam Wanamaker to pioneer a mammoth fundraising and research project that eventually led to the reconstruction of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre between 1993 and 1996. Unfortunately, Wanamaker did not live to see the completed theater. Although nobody is certain what The Globe actually looked like, the project pieced together historical evidence and used traditional building techniques to construct a theater that was as faithful as possible to the original. A little more safety-conscious than the original, the newly constructed theater seats 1,500 people (half the original capacity), utilizes fire-retardant materials and uses modern backstage machinery. However, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre continues to stage Shakespeare’s plays in the open air, exposing the spectators to English weather.

Sports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sports - Essay Example The basketball class focused on teaching the methods of defense, ball handling, guarding, passing, shooting, and offense. These classes provide a wonderful opportunity for the students to learn and develop their physical, mental, and social skills. Physically it helps the students develop stamina, remain physically healthy and active, while also leading to weight reduction. Overall, extracurricular activities such as outdoor sports provide general health improvement. Sports also help in the development of social skills such as cooperation and teamwork. Task 6 was looking for coding qualitative measures of teaching in the class. I counted how many times the teacher accurately conducted to inform, refine, extend, repeat, and apply the individual task. I also measured how many students had clearly understood and responded based on three different teaching cues and based on the teacher’s information and demonstrations. At the beginning of the class, the teacher defined and described the basketball rules, movements, skills, and techniques. Those learning concepts were easy to understand for most students as they had been playing basketball from a very young age. However, to ensure that all students had a thorough knowledge of all the different individual tasks, the teacher tested their knowledge by asking some random questions. When the teacher found that a student faltered in answering properly, the teacher went through the question again till he was convinced that the student had understood it properly. The introductory game of basketball is basketball relays. The purpose of the game is improvement of dribbling skill while the students run. The teacher divided the class into four teams. Each team player was asked to line up behind the line. The first team player then dribbled the ball to the assigned line and returned back the ball to the next member of their team. A few players preferred using le ft handed dribble or alternating hand dribble which was permitted by the teacher. After the basketball relays was played, the teacher made some changes to the original task content, and manipulated it to reach an advanced condition. The aim was for the students to gain practice in dribbling, passing, and shooting skills in the next assigned task. Moreover, the teacher looked for a variety of variations and responses. He divided the basketball court into nine red boxes by using blue tape prior to starting the class. The players took position each in one box. Only one ball was given to all nine players. Each player was allowed just one chance to shoot into a basket without leaving the assigned box. If a player succeeds in obtaining a score, he or she could leave the box, but if a player failed to do so he would have to pass the ball to the next box player. It worked in a clockwise direction. The next task was to qualitatively seek to develop the previous activity that focused on impro ving the mechanics of basketball skills or tactical aspects of play. All the basketball skills were practiced: dribbling, passin

Portfolio of Seven Case Briefs on Different Business Law Topics Essay

Portfolio of Seven Case Briefs on Different Business Law Topics - Essay Example vs. Reeder-Simco GMC, Inc.,1 Kelo vs. City of New London,2 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. vs. Samara Brothers, Inc.,3 Anderson vs. City of LaVergne,4 Dearborn vs. Real Estate Agency,5 Rhudy vs. Bottlecaps, Inc.,6 and Kain v. Bluemound East Industrial Park, Inc.,7 Reeder-Simco is a business entity that acts as a Volvo dealer in Fort Smith, Arkansas. In February of 2000, it filed suit against Volvo on the allegation that that its (Reeder's) sales and profits declined due to Volvo's price discrimination practices. Reeder-Simco alleges that Volvo offered to other dealers price concessions that were significantly more favorable that those given to Reeder-Simco. Thus, it filed suit against Volvo for allegedly violating the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA), which prohibits forms of discriminatory pricing that reduce competition. On this basis, Reeder explained that its business is conducted in the following manner: retail customers take bids from dealers who solicit price concessions from the manufacturers. These concessions are factored into dealer's bids. Reeder accuses Volvo of offering better price concessions to other Volvo dealers bidding for different customers, directly resulting in Reeder suffering losses. The District Court District Court allowe... The District Court District Court allowed the case to go to a jury, who held in favor of Reeder and awarded damages. Volvo appealed the decision, arguing a lack of competition was present, which is required by the RPA to apply. Volvo substantiated its contention stating that Reeder was not actually bidding against the Volvo dealers who supposedly were given favorable concessions. The appellate court dismissed the appeal, ruling that even though Volvo dealers do not actually bid against each other, they effectively competed at the same functional level, which would render the RPA applicable. Thus, Volvo brought the case to the Supreme Court on certiorari. Issue Whether or not a manufacturer offering its dealers different wholesale prices may be held liable for price discrimination proscribed by Robinson-Patman Act in the absence of a showing that the manufacturer discriminated between dealers contemporaneously competing to resell to the same retail customer. Ruling For the reasons stated, the judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is reversed, and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. Analysis The Robinson-Patman Act does not reach the case Reeder presents, because the Act addresses price discrimination in cases involving competition between different purchasers for resale of the purchased product, whereas competition of that character is not involved when a product subject to special order is sold through a customer-specific competitive bidding process. It does not "ban all price differences charged to different purchasers of commodities of like grade and quality", but

Influences of Innovation at Apple Inc Case Study

Influences of Innovation at Apple Inc - Case Study Example The present case study dwells on the innovative features of the business at Apple Inc. The discussion commences from its very beginning and ends with the contemporary strategies and business of the firm. Apple Inc., (Apple) is a US - based multinational corporation that focuses on design and manufacture of consumer electronics and closely related software products. The company was established in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976, engaged in designing, developing, selling and supporting a wide range of personal computers, portable media players, mobile phones, computer software, computer hardware and hardware accessories. Till 2007, the firm opened around 200 retail stores across five countries and one online store through which hardware and software products are being sold (Retail Stores). In the year 2008, the firm was awarded the best corporate performer organized by the famous business magazine, Business Week. (Best Performer Award 2008). Apple started its innovation journey with its first Apple computer in the year 1976. After that the company introduced the Apple II microcomputer on April 16, 1977 and it was different from its major rivals, the TRS-80 and Commodore PET, mainly because of its color graphics and an open architecture. In 1983, the company introduced the Lisa, the first commercial personal computer to employ a Graphical User Interface (GUI). In the early 2000s, Apple expanded its focus on software and included professional and consumer video, music, and photo production solutions with a view to promote its products as a "digital hub". Apple developed its own operating system to run on its hardware such as Macs, Mac OS X and Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard. Apple also independently developed computer software titles for its Mac OS X operating system. Apple also offered a range of professional software titles. On May 19, 2001, Apple launched its first official Apple retail stores (Appendix I) in Virginia and California and continued to set up more stores in the US and other countries. Apple retail stores are a chain of stores owned and operated solely by Apple Inc., dealing in computers and consumer electronics. On October 23, 2001, Apple introduced the iPod digital music player equipped with a 5 GB hard drive and a monochrome screen. The current models can store up to 160 GB and display video, play games, and support a wide range of third-party add-on devices. Apple added new models of iPod(R) touch, after the success of the iPod touch (Appendix II) launched in 2007. Another innovative milestone in the launch of Apple products was the Apple iPhone. It was introduced by the company in late June 2007 at the top price of $599 with 8GB and a less price of $499 with 4GB. iPhone (Appendix III) was one of the most anticipated electronic devices of the decade (Apple Inc History). AppleCare is a customer service program designed by the company to meet the needs of individuals and businesses. In addition, there are numerous online resources within the AppleCare Support website that provide valuable information and instructions. Apple's self-servicing account program is designed for institutions and businesses - for

Customer Satisfaction Case Study of Hotel

Customer Satisfaction Case Study of Hotel Customer satisfaction: A case study of the Travelodge Hotel. Docklands, London. Dissertation declaration â€Å"Is it possible for hoteliers to provide a quality of services that meets with customer satisfaction whilst at the same time reducing the quantity of services that are provided?† Abstract Budget hotels in the hospitality sector are continuing to make significant inroads into the market shares previously enjoyed by the standard hotel chains, even in select areas such as the City of London. However, the question is whether this new type of accommodation supply is being created at a cost to the consumer in terms of customer value and satisfaction. Using the Travelodge hotel Docklands as a case study, this research attempts to address this issue. From the result of a SERVQUAL measurement survey conducted with 48 of the hotels customers, the conclusion is reached that, whilst in theory there is no reason why the customer quality of service should be less, in practice the customers expectations that are attached to a lower price do not equate with the perceptions of the hotel management in some areas, particularly in relation to human resources. There is therefore a need for the management of such establishments to achieve a better level of balance between these two determinants. Table of Contents (Jump to) Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Rationale for research 1.2 Customer retention 1.3 Aims 1.4 Objectives 1.5 Overview Chapter 2: Background 2.1 Tourism in the UK 2.2 Tourism in Docklands Chapter 3: Literature Review 3.1 Customer satisfaction 3.2 Service quality 3.3 Methods used to measure customer satisfaction and service quality 3.4 Summary Chapter 4: Research Methodology 4.1 Research method choice 4.2 Data collection 4.3 Performance of the research Chapter 5: Data presentation and analysis Chapter 6: Implications of the research findings Chapter 7: Conclusion 6.1 Application 6.2 Recommendations Chapter 1:  Introduction The vast majority of commercial concerns, irrespective of whether their business is product or service orientated, are aware of the fact that continued business success is dependant upon determining that the quality of service they provide for the customer equates to or exceeds the perceived expectation of satisfaction that customers have when they decide to enter into transaction with the business. Furthermore, as Michael Porter (1985 and 2004) suggests in his researches into the subject of competition, quality of service can also be used as a strategy to gain competitive advantage, particularly in a crowded marketplace, which certainly exists within the tourism industry. In the context of delivering the quality of service that satisfies the customer, perhaps the hotel industry finds itself in a unique, although some would say unenviable position. Most other industries and sectors only engage with the consumer for a matter of moments during the course of their visit. However, with the hotel industry the interaction this business sector has with the consumer can last from several hours to many days. Similarly, with a number of customers in close proximity, it can be also be said that customer-to-customer interactions form part of the product (Kandampully et al (2001, p.28). In addition, the number of interrelated services within a hotel is invariable far more complex and diverse than other businesses will be offering. For example, in a retail environment, the connection with the customer is the quality of the product and service quality at the point of sale and after sales service. However. With a hotel, customer satisfaction can be influenced by a number of factors. From the product aspect, this will include the standard and quality of the main product, namely the hotel room, in this case relating to the dà ©cor, furnishings, facilities available, cleanliness and cost against performance. In terms of services provided, the hotel will also be judged by several diverse elements. These include the relation built between customers and front office staff, cleaners and employees in other facilities being offered, for example the service received from employees engaged within the waiting, bar-tending, local knowledge and health facility aspects of the busine ss. As a result of these service and quality issues, and in an effort to ensure that these meet with the expectation and satisfaction levels of their customers, one would therefore expect that the market players within the hotel industry would be constantly seeking ways to improve upon the services that their establishments offer. If this is the case, how is it then that, over the past two to three decades, the industry has seen a proliferation of budget and low cost hotel chains emerging, one of the most well known of which within the UK is the Travelodge brand? 1.1 Rationale for research It is the question regarding how budget hotel chains are managing to deliver customer satisfaction whilst at the same time reducing the levels of services being provided that forms the rationale for this paper. There has been a reasonable amount of research dedicated to the delivery of customer satisfaction by the method of adding to the levels and qualities of the services being offered, as would be the case in the tourism industry, for example with five star hotels. However, research into the ability of a commercial organisation to maintain the same standard of customer satisfaction levels, particularly within the UK tourism and leisure industry, when that organisation is operating a â€Å"low-cost† strategy, which by definition is primarily focused on driving down the business costs by reducing the levels of services being made available to the customer, is more limited. 1.2  Customer retention Another factor that makes the â€Å"low-cost† strategy and its removal of services within the hotel industry sometimes difficult to understand is that most literature concentrates upon the fact that providing a quality service that matches customer satisfaction is important in terms of customer retention (Parasuraman 1997, Schiffman and Kanuk 2000 and Porter 1998). On the surface therefore the rule of keeping customers returning by offering them less does seem to contain a dichotomy of views that are incompatible. However, many of the some of the recent observers, Including Zeithaml (1988), Agrawal (2000) and Porter (2004) in his later works, have begun to study this particular issue, finding that there can be a relationship between the less services and customer satisfaction. It is the intention for this paper to add value to these opinions. 1.3  Aims From the explanations given above therefore it can be seen that the aim of this research is to address the following question: â€Å"Is it possible for hoteliers to provide a quality of services that meets with customer satisfaction whilst at the same time reducing the quantity of services that are provided? In an effort to assist in the provision of a definitive response to the hypothesis set, it is intended to use as a case study research carried out at a specific location of the budget hotel chain Travelodge, namely their establishment in Docklands, London. 1.4  Objectives In the process of defining the theoretical and practical response to the hypothesis, as well as adding value to the existing research conducted with the subjects that are covered, these being customer satisfaction and service quality within a tourism and leisure environment, the following three objectives have been set: Customer perception and satisfaction Although there has been considerable literature relating to customer perception and satisfaction determinants, within this research the intention is to broaden this area to take account of how these issues can be best related to the â€Å"budget† service provider and by what methods such organisations can determine that a) the reduction of services reaches an optimal level and b) how other areas of service quality can be introduced in a manner that will continue to improve the business relationship with and retention of customers without adversely impacting upon the business â€Å"low-cost† strategy. Gaps within service quality measurement. Using the â€Å"SERQUAL† method of measurement, which is discussed in more detail in chapter three, we shall look particularly at the â€Å"gap† element of this methods in an attempt to define how these have can and have been applied effectively and successfully to the budget hotel business model despite the fact that these models concentrate upon the task of reducing the levels of services being made available to customers in return from price advantages. The future. From the results indicated above, it is intended to ascertain whether the process of understanding how the use of quality of service in a budget business environment can provide lessons that could be applied to other â€Å"premier† brand hotel businesses within the industry or if these results are strategy specific and therefore not transferable across different business models. The significant data which has been used to provide the foundation for this research paper has been collected through the use of then primary quantitative method of structured questionnaires and interviews, which will be discussed in more detail in chapter four. 1.5  Overview Following this introductory chapter, the second chapter in this study provides a brief background into UK tourism, including the levels and reasons for tourisms within the docklands area, as well as a history relating to the Travelodge hotel chain and its Docklands unit. In chapter three a critical literature reviews is conducted into the major areas of customer satisfaction, service quality and the various theories and models that have been developed to measure these aspects of the business operations. Chapter four is where the methodology for the main research carried out in support of this research is explained in greater depth. It will include an understanding of the strengths and limitations of the chosen research method, together with details of the manner of the performance of these methods. This will be followed in chapter five by the data findings and an analysis of these findings, the implications of which will be further discussed in chapter six. The paper will be drawn to a conclusion in chapter seven, at which point any relevant and appropriate recommendations will also be presented. Following the conclusion of this study, a reference list of all the resources used, together with appendices that contain additional information and data that is considered to add value to the understanding of this paper will also be attached. Chapter 2  Background As stated previously, tourism is one of the most important industries in the UK economy. Therefore, as the core theme of this research is related to an organisation within this industry, it is appropriate to provide some background relating to UK tourism and the Docklands area in particular, as wells as the organisation that is forming the case study, namely the Travelodge hotel group. 2.1  Tourism in the UK The level of tourism in the UK has seen a diverse change depending upon the criteria that one uses. For example, with regards to domestic travel of UK residents, this saw a reported decline of –4.0% in the last 8 months of 2006 when compared with the previous year, although there were still nearly 102 million overnight trips (Visit Britain 2008 b, p,4). Conversely, the numbers of overseas visitors increased by 9%, rising to nearly 33 million trips (Visit Britain 2008 a, p.8), as can be seen from the following table (figure 1). In total therefore, tourism in the UK in 2006 saw a participating total of approaching 135 million customers, who visits were for both leisure and business purposes (see figure 2). With between 59% and 74% of the domestic journeys involving overnights stays of one to three days (see figure 3) and 42% of overseas journeys having the same duration, this provides a significant existing market opportunity for the UK hotel industry and room for continued growth, especially as at present it is estimated that only around 30% of the domestic visitors choose Hotels and guest houses for their accommodation needs (see figure 4). However, with hotel occupancy rates having fallen in recent years, especially in the capital, although this was partially due to terrorist attacks (Chetwynd and Knight 2005), it is important for hoteliers to ensure that they are providing the necessary level of quality service to capture this market. 2.2  Tourism in Docklands Visit Britain statistics (2008 a, p.11) indicates that of the total inbound tourism trade during 2006, nearly 16 million visitors chose London as their destination, with many more domestic tourists swelling that number. Similarly, compared with the rest of the UK, the hotel occupancy levels in London remain at a reasonably high level of around 72% (Visit London 2008, p.4), due mainly to the high mix of customers from the domestic and international leisure and business sectors. Having spent over  £12 billion on regeneration of the area, London Docklands is taking its fair share of visitors, with 24 hotels at present and a further five in development (LDVC 2008), of which the Travelodge budget hotel in Coriander Avenue, E14 is one. 2.3  Overview: Travelodge – London Docklands The Travelodge brand of hotels, which was originally formed in the US, has seen a number of owners since then, with the latest being a  £675 million acquisition for the group by Dubai International Capital in 2006. It is the UK’s second largest budget hotel chain with over 300 units in the UK offering around 22,000 rooms (Editorial 2007), although the company expects that to expand to 32,000 within the next three years, an plans to more than double this expansion by 2020. In 1985 the group was the first hoteliers to strip out what it considered to be non-essential services in an effort to reduce costs of hotel stays to the minimum, which in 2007 were around  £26 a night. Another example of the budget cost example can be seen from the group’s Docklands hotel, where normal rates of  £49  £59 per night can be reduced to as low as  £29 if they are booked around three weeks in advance. Travelodge’s mission statement is aptly summed up on their website as â€Å"Pay for things you don’t want? That’s crazy!† (Travelodge 2008). They further go on to explain this statement by outlining the fact that the quality of their services to the customer is the provision of nice beds, clean rooms and a value for money price which the inclusion of items such as room service, extra towels, toiletries and other items that are seen by other hoteliers as value added services, would prohibit the business from achieving. According to press releases (Travelodge 2008 b), the company has seen significant growth during the course of 2006, with revenues increased by 19% and room occupancy by 24%. These results are in line with the reports issued by the Mintel group (Kuhn 2007), which shows that in the four years to 2006 the budget hotel sector grew by 38% , out performing other sectors of the industry that could only manage 12%, to exceed the  £1 billion barrier of revenue for the first time. It can be seen from this background and the statistics that the budget hotel industry is obviously making inroads into traditional hotel markets. However, the question which this research will address is whether this is simply based upon the price advantage or if other service quality and customer satisfaction issues have also influenced the growing popularity of the budget hotel sector. Chapter 3  Literature Review During the course of the past six or seven decades there has been a considerable amount of literature and research produced that has endeavoured to address the issues of customer satisfaction and service quality, as well as a number of models of measurement that can be utilised in respect of the latter. This critical literature review will discuss a selection of these studies and in particular endeavour to identify whether there is a link between these and the model that has been deemed appropriate for the budget hotel sector, or indeed where gaps in current literature exists. 3.1  Customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction has been the subject of a reasonable amount of academic literature over the past few decades from a number of perspectives. For example, researchers such as Porter (1998), Parasuraman (1997) Agrawal (2000) and Harrison (2003) have all outlined the benefits of customer satisfaction as an integral aspect of competitive advantage. As Hennig-Thurau, and Hansen (2000, p.62) comment in their study on relationship marketing, it is the intention of all businesses â€Å"to try and engender a high level of customer satisfaction in order to positively influence our customers repurchasing and communicative behavior†. There is little doubt that the level of satisfaction experienced by customers will impact upon the way they react to a product or service, in other words it drives their behaviour (Schiffman and Kanuk 2000). However, the difficulty that all academics have wrestled with over the years is in defining exactly what â€Å"customer satisfaction is† and, perhaps more importantly, which determinates influence the achievement of customer satisfaction. Hennig-Thurau and Hansen (2000, p.8) define customer satisfaction as being the â€Å"emotional or empathic reaction† that occurs within the customer as they judge the experience of the product or service against the expectations they had prior to that experience. Richard Oliver (quoted in Holbrook 1999, p.56) rests with the definition that ideals and excellence is equal to satisfaction. Ziethaml (1998) adds further substance to these definition by explaining that satisfaction is all about the perception of value when adjudged again st price, quality, need and payment, In summarising this position, Zeithaml (1988, p.14) stated that â€Å"Perceived value is the consumer’s overall assessment of the utility of a product based on perceptions of what is received and what is given †¦ value represents a trade-off of the salient give and get components,† in other words the cost of ownership against the value perceived. This is a definition that has been accepted by a number of other researchers, including Christopher (1996), although as Dr Brennen (2003, p.4) observes, there is some departure from this consensus in respect of the component parts that make up customer satisfaction, with some observers only including price as a denominator whilst others include the total cost of ownership. Nevertheless as Suzan Boztepe (2007, p.56), points out, to identify customer satisfaction, â€Å"The emphasis is on the point of exchange, and money is seen as a fundamental index of value.† It is as that moment, when the product of service has been purchased and used, in the respect that a contractual agreement has been entered into, that the customer makes a value judgement about what they have been given in exchange for what they have paid. In this situation it is therefore usually the case that the higher the level of quality of service promotes a higher level of satisfaction (Kandampully et al. 2001, p.8). In respect of the determinates that engender satisfaction within a customer, there do of course extend beyond the simple and direct use of the product or service. Parasuraman (1997, p.1) refers to this position when he talks above the â€Å"attributes and consequences arising from that use,† which indicates that satisfaction levels can be increased or decreased by other internal and external factors. Boztepe (2007, p.58) agrees with this comment, promoting the view that the context and environment within which the use is received will impact upon the customers enjoyment or satisfaction with the experience. In the context of the hospitality environment of hotel industry that is the basis of this study, this aspect is very important. For example, if the human service in a particular establishment is good but the physical environment, in terms of dà ©cor, equipment etc is not, this would reduce the customer’s enjoyment and therefore lower the satisfaction and value they g ain from the experience. Similarly, in the case of the hotel attention has to be paid to the external factors. For example, if the service from employees and the environment is good, but other guest create a situation that is disturbing or unpleasant to the customer, this nay also adversely affect their satisfaction with the experience and the value they gain from it. Therefore, it can be seen from the forgoing that when providing a service or product the supplier, or in this case hotelier, has to understand not only how the customer behaves or is likely to react to the value of the service provided, but also be aware of the factors that might adversely influence that behaviour. If that is not understood â€Å"the likelihood of consumer satisfaction diminishes, as does the potential for a profitable business† (Holbrook 1999, p.116). After all, as Porter (1998, p.411) succinctly explains the situation, in order to gain competitive advantage, the aim of the business should be to ensure that the whole format of the various elements of the business supply chain should be geared towards delivering a product or service to the end user that adds â€Å"to their convenience and satisfaction.† To achieve this position the marketer has to understand the whole of the customer behavioural process, which includes what drives them to make the origi nal choice, known as the pre-purchase period, how they will react to the actual use or consumption of the product and their reaction after that use, the post-purchase period (Holbrook, 1999, p.43). If the business bears these aspects in mind, and reacts positively to them, there is more opportunity to be able to provide the customer with a unique product of service that will be perceived by them to have a greater level of value and therefore being more satisfying (ibid p.121), which has the added benefit of potentially engaging the customers loyalty and therefore makes the retention of the customer more likely. In a practical sense this position cannot be achieved unless there is a quality of service. 3.2  Service quality Following on from an understanding of the factors that determine what values give satisfaction to a customer, it has been found that, in essence, this is uniquely linked with service and the quality of that service, which is another area where there has been a concentration of literature over the past few decades. In terms of definition of the words, because of the nature of this paper, the definition of service being relied upon is that promoted by Kolter (1999), who stated that: â€Å"A service is any benefit or activity that one party can offer to another, which is essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. Its production may or may not be tied to a physical product.† Harrison (2003) and Holbrook (1999) regard quality as being the originator for meeting the expectation of value and satisfaction for the customer. In this respect, Holbrook (1999, p.13) states that â€Å"quality, generally, is an externally mediate perception that a product or service possesses excellent levels of the key quality dimensions which define quality for that product/service.† From the commercial aspect therefore, it is apparent that businesses have a need to use service quality in order to attract customers and to retain their loyalty in a manner that will lead to them continuing to purchase the service in the future, in other words quality is one of the core competing elements (Berry and Parasuraman 1991). An essential element of this will be to aim to provide the customer with an experience of service quality that they perceive to be of a higher value than they can expect to receive elsewhere, at least for the same price and conditions (Hennig-Thurau and Hansen (2000, p.169). Service quality has to permeate through all aspects of the business which, as has been identified earlier, will include the way that employees react to clients, the dà ©cor and content of the environment where the service quality takes place and the control of external determinates. These latter â€Å"situational / environment characteristics† (Holbrook 1999, p.30) are extremely important in a hotel environment as they will directly impact upon the customers perception of value and satisfaction. For example, if when arriving at the hotel the customer is required to wait for some time to become registered and given their room keys, this could adversely affect their satisfaction levels. Furthermore, this experience may reflect in their post–purchase behaviour, for example with the memory of the experience being marred by this one incidence, thus reducing the value they have gained and the likelihood of re-booking. However, what has to be remembered is that each business is unique and will therefore have to find its own way of using service quality in an effort to gain competitive advantage. What works for one sector of an industry or even an individual business may not work for another. In fact trying to change a business service quality strategy to emulate that of another business may do more harm than good (Porter 1998, p.531). For instance, the service quality format and strategy developed by budget hotels such as Travelodge may not work for the five-star hotel sector of the industry. Nevertheless, as can be seen from this discussion, it is important for the commercial organisation to research the are of service quality as it impacts upon their particular business model as this will provide them with â€Å"valuable insights† into how to promote their goods or services in a way that is deemed to provide the customer with the level of service quality that they are expecting (Hennig-Thurau and Hensen 2000, p.13) 3.3  Methods used to measure customer satisfaction and service quality There are a number of methods for measuring the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality that have been discussed in literature over the years, both from the academic and practical viewpoint. For the purpose of this research it has been decided to use the SERQUAL method originally developed and later revised by Parasuraman et al (1991). However, prior to reviewing this particular method and the reasons for its choice, it would be of benefit to briefly discuss some of the other measurements that are available. Other methods One method of measurement that is particularly popular in the hospitality sector, especially with guesthouses, is the use of comments and feedback from the customer. As Porter (1998, p.147) acknowledges this system of testimonials does have value in the respect that it provides the supplier with a direct indication of the levels of value and satisfaction experienced by the customer. However, the difficulty with this process is twofold. Firstly, the construction of the process may be misleading for the customer and the business (Kandampully et al 2001). For example, a simple complaints format does not show areas where the business is succeeding. The second aspect of this process is that it is not sufficiently defined. The business managers need to know in which specific service quality areas they are performing well or not. Without such definition it is difficult for them to be able to address areas that are perceived by the customer as a concern. Two other methods that prove quite popular are the general satisfaction and the continuous monitoring surveys and polls. Both of these have their drawbacks. In terms of the former, whilst it is in many ways similar to the SERVQUAL method chosen, its concentration upon the customers perceptions leaves it weak in terms of providing practical results that can be directly implemented by the business. Continuous surveys on the other hand have the inherent problem of adding to administrative costs within the business and, in addition, there may be issues with sampling (Visit Britain 2008 b). These can result from the fact that, being random in nature, continual update of relevant data is required, which may not always be easy for an individual business to acquire or manage. SERVQUAL Measurement The SERVQUAL method of measurement is one that has been â€Å"extensively applied† (Shahin 2005, p.4) and has been found by many to be particularly useful in providing a â€Å"true measure of customer service† (Kandampully et al 2001, p.68). It is seen to be relevant to the hospitality sector and has been used extensively in this area of commerce. Although in some cases this model has been extended by researchers to a dozen elements, essentially the foundation of the SERVQUAL process is founded on five key factors (Sahney et al 2004), which are: Tangibles. Physical facilities, equipment and appearance of personnel. Reliability. Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. Responsiveness. Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Assurance (including competence, courtesy, credibility and