American Dream Theme Essay Example for Free

American Dream Theme Essay The portrayal of the American Dream in literature has evolved as the United States has developed and prospered. In the beginning, the initial settlers in the Americas were searching for simple things, such as new opportunities and freedom of religion. As the country grew more populous, competition for success was heightened. Many people have different ideas on what the American Dream means to them. Over the years, American authors have used the theme of the American Dream to share their perspectives on society. Starting with Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the depiction of this theme has evolved with society throughout the years. This novel was set in the years that slavery was prevalent, which made the relationship between a young boy and a runaway slave very difficult. They crave to have no restraints and constrictions and strive to escape the controlling society that they live in. In his book, Twain’s idea of the American Dream is depicted as â€Å"a celebration of freedom, not only from physical structure and rules, but from the prejudices of  Southern society in the age of slavery† (â€Å"The American Dream† 2). The two boys struggle to reach freedom and happiness together throughout the entire book. The main character in The Great Gatsby also struggles for happiness throughout his life in Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. After losing his true love and BURTON 2 discovering that she has been married to another man, he uses his riches and â€Å"high society† lifestyle to win her back over. He strives for money and fortune, but finds no true happiness in his successes. One article had a wonderful  explanation of the American dream presented in this novel: â€Å"Through the character of Gatsby, Fitzgerald eventually shows that, while the rags-to-riches American Dream seems fantastic and wonderful, it is in reality shallow, as well as devoid of true joy and love† (â€Å"The American Dream† 3). However, not all quests for success can end favorably for everyone. This fact is depicted well in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. After a lifetime of failures, Willy Loman learns the hard way that success in society is not  everything in life; family and love for one another is what is most important. He seems to focus more on being well liked by the buyers and other people that he visits instead of actually selling his products. Near the end, he voices his frustration frequently about how there is no relationship and personality in the selling business anymore. In his article, Bradford states that Willy â€Å"believes that personality, not hard work and innovation, is the key to success† (Bradford 3). Miller proves this to be false when, in the play, Willy attempts to use his charisma  to get a raise from his boss, but the conversation eventually ends in him being fired altogether. He goes on to blame numerous other reasons for his being let go from the company, but never recognizes his own fault. The American Dream started off as a simple desire for freedom to express oneself and live equally with each other. This was expressed in the 1884 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. These hopes and dreams turned more BURTON 3 materialistic by the 1920’s when Gatsby believed that he could somehow win over his one true love with his fame and riches. He worked hard to earn his success, but without friends and loved ones to share your life with, he realized that success does not bring true happiness. This theme changed once again, though, when the Loman family was introduced in 1949. In Arthur Miller’s play, Willy Loman acted as if he shouldn’t have to work for success and riches. He seemed to believe that everything should be handed to him, instead of earned. The American Dream theme has never failed to keep up with progress in American society. Many authors and playwrights incorporated this theme into  their works in order to make the stories relatable to readers at their times. While peoples’ aspirations started out more moral, people began to become greedy in their desires. This led to their dreams becoming more complicated. The definition of success and means of achieving happiness have changed as American culture has transformed. BURTON 4 Works Cited The American Dream in Literature. Examiner. com. Clarity Digital Group LCC, 15 Sept. 2011. Web. 09 Sept. 2013. Bradford, Wade. The American Dream in Death of a Salesman About. com Plays / Drama. N. p. , 2013. Web. 09 Sept. 2013.

Research Methodology Chapter | Qualitative Research

Research Methodology Chapter | Qualitative Research The aim of this chapter is to undertake a critical review of the research method used, including an awareness of alternatives approach and the basic research question is discussed. This chapter describes the approach that the researcher undertake in order to carry out the research needs of this paper. The research objectives are to examine the marketing strategies, how a company creates the good relationships between customer and the service provider in telecom sector. This chapter plays an important role as a part of dissertation because it discusses the methods available to the researcher and justifies the method chosen. Its implication lies on the fact that it supports the findings of the researcher by validating the selected technique as appropriate for the situation. In the first stage of this chapter researcher defined the methods and techniques in detail and in the later part of this chapter the reason has been provided which research method was suitable for this study of rela tionship marketing. A research methodology is a method for how research study is to be carried. It helps the researcher to answer questions authentically, completely and precisely. Research methodology refers to the procedural framework within which the research is conducted (Remenyi et al., 1998). There are many factors to be considered when choosing an appropriate research methodology, with the topic to be researched and the specific research question being primary drivers (Remenyi et al., 1998). (Kumar, 1999, Blaxter, Hughes Tight, 1996) argue that the basic characteristics of study are intend to be, a designed, careful, methodical and dependable means of finding out or deepening understanding. McGrath (1982) posit that the choices make it apparent that there are no perfect solutions, only a sequence of compromises. Patton (1990) expresses the same view: research, like diplomacy, is the art of the possible. Noteworthy, however, a methodology must not, regardless of all other conditions, dominate the research procedure. A preliminary framework for this study was developed from the literatures about the relationship marketing, the role of CRM, Customer loyalty and information technology to create relationships (Hagel and Singer, 1999; Peppers et al., 1999). This framework has the three usual parts of a system: inputs, processes and outputs. That is, inputs of Internet information about customers are processed and converged with a firms customer databases, to produce a series of strategic outputs such as improved customer relationship management. As a result of the diverse ways of understanding relationship marketing, no set of best practice has been promoted although several approaches nevertheless have been proposed (e.g. DeSouza, 1992; Rosenberg and Czepiel, 1984; Stone and Woodcock, 1995). It has even been suggested that no guidelines exist that guarantee an effective design, implementation, monitoring and measurement of a relationship marketing programme (Grande, 1996; Pinto, 1997). For example, when the term relationship marketing is used in so many different ways that confusion sets in (Palmer, 1998, p. 106) is it then not possible to identify activities that, if practised, can be presented as substantive evidence of the practice of relationship marketing itself? Also, how are programmes of relationship marketing implemented and subsequently monitored (Cravens, 1998; Gummesson, 1998)? Finally, Gummesson (1997) notes that the measuring of returns on relationship marketing is still in its infancy so in what way(s), if at all, are returns on relationship marketing measured? 3.2 Research Paradigm Research can be conducted in a number of ways. It is important to determine which paradigm is most suitable for this research. Paradigm offers a framework comprising an accepted set of theories, methods and ways of defining data (Hussey Hussey, 1997). There are two research paradigms exist: Positivist and phenomenological. The principles of these two paradigms will be discussed in terms of their relevant strength and weaknesses in order to justify the researchers choice. 3.2.1 Positivism Paradigm Positivism is that the social world exists externally and its properties should be measured through objective methods rather than subjective methods through sensation or intuition (Smith, 2002). Positivists emphasize on highly structured methodology and to develop quantitative data for an appropriate set of preconceived hypotheses is to be tested. They consider objective criteria rather than human beliefs and interests to determine the study area. (Smith, Thorpe lowe, 2002; Saunders, Lewis Thornhill, 2003). According to Hussey (1997) research undertaken in this way will be precise, objective and the process of researching will have no affect on what is being researched. This type of research is performed in order to invent, confirm or reject an accepted theory. A key criticism of this approach is it is difficult to treat people as being separate from their social contexts and they cannot be understood without examining the perceptions they have (Hussey Hussey, 1997). However, consistency is high with generalisations being possible from data collected from a sample or population. In testing a theory, research will either attempt to prove or disprove a theory. Positivists emphasize on highly structured methodology and to develop quantitative data for an appropriate set of preconceived hypotheses is to be tested. They consider objective criteria rather than human beliefs and interests to determine the study area. (Smith, Thorpe lowe, 2002; Saunders, Lewis Thornhill, 2003). 3.2.2 Phenomenological Paradigm Phenomenological (interpretive science) investigation uses qualitative and naturalistic ways to inductively identify individual experience in context-specific situation. This approach attempts to recognize and describe a phenomenon, rather than exploring for exterior reason or primary laws (Easterby-Smith, 1991; Remenyi et al., 1998). Because of criticism on the positivist paradigm, the phenomenological paradigm was developed. According to Bryman(1999) understanding human behaviour from the participants own frame of reference. The main advantage of using the phenomenological paradigm is its ability to enable the researcher to elaborate and embrace several different themes simultaneously to achieve a greater understanding of what is occurring in the phenomena. The major disadvantage of this paradigm is that the reliability is very low. Thus the generalizations to a wider population cannot be made to any degree of accuracy. 3.3 Research Methods In the perspective of data collection, Jackowicz (1995) defines method as a systematic and orderly approach taken towards the collection of data so that the information can be obtained from those data. One of the most difficult tasks of a researcher is to turn the data into information. To explain the difference between data and information, the main characteristics of data is that it is raw, specific, undigested and therefore largely meaningless; information in contrast of data is what comes out when data have been arranged in such a way that uncertainty is lessened, queries resolved, and questions answered. To get data to generate literature review, two paths are followed one is the theoretical concepts, and the other is investigation of secondary sources of data within telecom industry. The literature review is designed to give critique of the area of relationship marketing. Its aim is to create a background for the primary and secondary research. Within the methodological field in marketing research the two wide ways of quantitative and qualitative work have fascinated both appreciation and disapproval (Birn et al., 1990; Goodyear, 2000). Research can be classified into two dissimilar types Quantitative Method. Qualitative Method. In quantitative method data is gathered and analysed using statistical tools. The data is often gathered through surveys, interview, questionnaires, etc. Edem (1994) argues that quantitative methodology validate research findings and gives the researcher a security of completion or reassurance in contributing to the development of knowledge. Bryman (1993) condemns quantitative research methods for their obvious method and linearity, and their lack of concern over the influence of resource limitations. Gable (1994) considers quantitative research to be relatively weak when used with the objective of discovery and during data collection. 3.4 Qualitative Research Method The principal consideration is to identify research methods that increase ones understanding of an issue rather then build upon existing theories and test relevant hypothesis. This position is supported by Bell (1993), according to Bell Researchers who adopt a qualitative perspective are more concerned to understand individuals perceptions of the world. They seek insight rather than statistical analysis. (Bell, 1993) The selection of qualitative methodology dictates the character of data gathering approaches done in relationship marketing context which is largely inductive (Creswell, 1994; Cuba and Lincoln, 1994; Quinn-Patton, 1987). The inductive logic means research should evolve in an undefined pattern rather than a determined specific result oriented pattern. Research therefore emerges from the field research with the interactions between the participants and the interviewees, as well as through the observations. In essence, this means while researching on relationship marketing services the framework in the beginning will be limited and predetermined on few objectives, after that the research will be let to evolve itself. In most of the cases it is hard to dissociate all deductive aspects but the plan is to keep this to a minimum. It is for this reason that the use of qualitative rather than quantitative research methods shall be employed. With the decision to use qualitative method decided, it becomes necessary to consider the specific applications that shall be used. Basically, it is necessary to consider the resources available to the research process. Many of the constraints placed upon qualitative methods involved issues regarding the amount of time available to the process. According to Bell The extent of your data collecting will be influenced by the amount of time you have. this may seem a rather negative approach, but there is no point in producing a grandiose scheme that requires a year and a team of researchers if you are your own, have no funds and in any case have to hand in the project report in three months . (Bell, 1993) This position makes several valid points, reminding us that one must ensure that the resources that are available to the research process are utilised fully. A qualitative, rather than quantitative approach is chosen because it is considered that many of the key factors in relationship marketing are socially constructed. (Hirschman, 1986). Phenomenological method has been used to provide informative and interesting interpretations of behaviour by a growing number of consumer researchers. However, at the onset it is important to note that phenomenology is not just a set of techniques for gathering, analysing and interpreting data; it is as much a philosophy whose intellectual foundations need to be understood if the method is to be implemented in its true form (Christina Goulding, 1999). It is decided to take a phenomenological approach, rather than positivist one, the reason to choose phenomenological, it was considered the subject matter of the study was unlikely to be objectively determined, this being the criteria for the positivist approach (Easter by-Smith et al, 1999), and the approach was suited to the socially constructed phenomen a that is the chosen area of research. A qualitative is used to aim to draw first hand experiences, in-depth motivations and personal feelings of interviewees towards relationship marketing and its role in telecom industry. One fundamental importance to this study is the fact that qualitative research will disclose problems, answers and insights that may go unnoticed in a quantitative study using closed or list questions. This may have limited the usefulness of the study and would probably not do justice to the fascinating and dynamic nature of marketing strategy. 3.4.1 Benefits of chosen approach: The benefit of qualitative research starts firstly with the fact it is not very time consuming. As Gilmore and Carson (1996) advocates qualitative techniques are highly appropriate for marketing research in the services industry, given the dynamic nature of the service delivery and they mostly occur through human interaction. They felt that the examination of complex and dynamic service situations could be more effectively achieved since the qualitative research process offers an open, flexible and experiential approach. It provides with the subjective information which may help to analyze the complex questions that cannot be answered. Respondents are encouraged to answer in their own words providing rich, fertile, but disorganized data Jankowicz (1993). It also provides the opportunity and opens the doors for the new research areas because of richer source of ideas. The qualitative research literature ( Kirk and Miller, 1986; Cresswell, 1994; Carson et al., 2001) proposes that quali tative research in common is reliable, valid and trustworthy, the authors were mostly watchful of the reliability, validity and general matters that are connected with drawing conclusions and making implications from non-probabilistic, small samples (Patton, 1990; Bock and Sargeant, 2002). Because of time restraints and availability of resources, the qualitative approach was the best option for the researcher conducting a single study. The value of qualitative approaches has become more apparent in consumer research over the past ten years with a number of researchers gaining insight into the phenomena not easily understood through quantitative measures (Woodruff and Schumann, 1993; Masberg and Silverman, 1996). 3.5 Data Collection Methodology Basically the data was collected in two stages, shown below. First Stage: Theory Study The first part of the research was completed by examining and reviewing previous literature, which facilitated to develop the themes which were discussed in more depth by the later stage of the research study. Second Stage: Focus Groups exploration In the second stage the researcher is trying to demonstrate the need for the appropriate approach from all the available methods in qualitative research methods because of the exploratory nature of the study. Convenient sampling method was used fort he chosen method: focus groups. Convenience sampling is the method used for selecting the sample for the chosen research methods: focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Although these methods of non-probability sampling are less scientific than the more robust methods of probability sampling (Zikmund, 2000), it is appropriate for the purpose of this study as it is best utilized for exploratory research (Zikmund, 2000). The groups enabled the researcher to explore themes, and expressed feelings much better than the questionnaire, which would not have enabled the expansion of topics in the same way. According to (Morgan and Krueger, 1998) The goal in focus groups is to gain an understanding by hearing from people in depth and this requires selecting a purposive sample that will generate the most productive discussion in the focus groups. A purposive sampling strategy chooses the focus group participants according to the projects goals. Focus groups are a qualitative technique allowing for the explicit use of group interaction to produce data and insights that would be less accessible without the interaction found in a group (Morgan, 1990). Focus groups are an admirable technique at establishing the why behind the informant perspectives (Morgan, 1990). Focus group is an addition to an individual interview as focus groups are thought to produce more critical explanation than personal interviews (Watts and Ebbutt, 1987). The focus allows the interaction between the people of different races and careers to express them their feeling and share their thoughts or experiences. Different people are gathered and brought into conversation for a focuses discussion related to a specific subject or question the results are used to increase understanding of that particular topic. In market research focus groups have been exercised to learn about consumers approaches and feelings as well as developing marketing strategies (Crabtre e and Miller, 1992; Hedges, 1985; Keown, 1983). This method is open-ended. That is, they use a form of questioning in which the respondents are encouraged to answer in their own words while the researcher may have an idea about the kind of answers that should be expected, it is not possible to specify assumptions in advance. In focus groups the moderator asks a question to each member in turn. Inside these restrictions, though, the meaning has reasonably broader limitations and several ways of collecting data are viable (Mitchell and Branigan, 2000). The focus group is relatively unstructured and unrestricted; they provide bulky amounts of productive but disorganized data. Some new forms of focus groups are also emerging these days as online focus groups they have facilitated qualitative research to be the beneficiary for the electronic development. Conducting online qualitative research is getting more famous and significant as a method of gathering information and data to know the methodologies and its key benefits (Sweet, 2001). Focus are not always easy to plan and execute as Atiken (1996) argues the benefits of focus groups, but also point out that they are not easy to arrange, run and report on. Focus groups are also helpful if the respondents are friendly towards the researcher as qualitative interviews this also depends on the association between interviewer and interviewees in raising an open dialogue which can allow a joint construction of understanding in the interview (Kvale, 1996). Overall the chosen methodology which has suited the study better than that of a more quantitative nature, as the properties involved are not physical or easily measurable In the paradigm of qualitative research focus groups have many advantages and disadvantages that can be taken into consideration while exploring the research better synopsis could not be found on the limitations and strengths of the focus group method as qualitative consumer research than one written by Morgan and Spanish (1984, p. 260): In essence, the strengths of focus groups come from a compromise between the strengths found in other qualitative methods. Like participant observation, they allow access to a process that qualitative researchers are often centrally interested in: interaction. Like in-depth interviewing, they allow access to the content that readers are often interested in: the attitudes and experiences of our respondents. As a compromise, focus groups are neither as strong as participant observation on the naturalistic observation of interaction, nor as strong as interviewing on the direct probing of informant knowledge, but they do a better job of combining these two goals than either of the other two techniques. The researcher believes this is a useful combination and one which, for some types of research questions, may represent the best of both worlds. The focus group enables the researcher to explore themes, and expresses feeling much better than questionnaire. As Lovelock (1996) posits, focus group have been used very effectively to illicit useful information about likes, dislikes, wants and desires of the participants. Focus groups have these disadvantages which comprises of standing, information and cultural differences among respondents, group domination by intellectual persons, forceful agreement and are deficient in inconsistency in viewpoints (McDonald, 1993; Ulmenstein, 1995). The outcomes of the focus groups are unstructured. This deficiency of structure possibly will leave participants lacking a sense of completion and may provide respondent disappointment (Van de Ven and Delbecq, 1974). 3.6 Focus Group interviews The qualitative part of this study was designed to include both focus-group and semi structured interviews. It included two different kinds of tools for interviewing and collecting the qualitative data in order to achieve appropriate richness in terms of understanding the variables behind the relationship marketing and customers evaluations in the telecom sector. The researcher himself acted as a moderator because he knows that moderator can have a deep impact on the usefulness of focus groups, in view of the fact that he can control equally the content of what is said by respondents, (Myers, 1998) and manage of participation (Morgan, 1996). The researcher before deciding the participants of focus group always kept the goals in his mind about the different styles, status and experience participant remain involve. The first part of qualitative study involved two focus groups moderated by a research professional. Two sessions were conducted, including a two hour discussion per group. The two focus groups consisted of three people each. Some of them were students; users and the rest of them were from different call centres. This criterion was set partly because researcher want to compare the results under investigation to other groups. Prior to interviews, formal introductory letters stating the research objectives were sent to interviewees in o rder to remind and trust along with establishing relationship. These will be followed up by telephone calls and re-inforcement of research objectives which will enable interviewees to address any queries they have prior to the interviews. Semi-structured interviews of approximately forty minutes to one hour are used from the people who are working in call centres for managing customer relations and providing customer service. Focus group are also a consideration for this research, because interaction among respondents might have stimulated new ideas and thoughts that may not have arisen during one to one interviews, group pressures are immediate, the greatest potential for distorting the focus group research is during the group interview itself (McDaniel and Gates,1996) For example, focus group may be subject to unstructured discussions which drift far from research objectives. Furthermore focus group may also contain introverted and non-respondents. But for the research of relationship marketing in telecom industry focus group is a good option. From the 1970s, focus group used mainly in the sphere of market research (Morgan, 1997). They are now widely used in anthropology, communication, education, marketing, political science, psychology, nursing and public health. It is not easy to define an interview questions because of the variety of the types of interview. According to Patton (1980), it is a useful starting point: the purpose of interviewing is to find out what is in and on someone elses mind. Researcher interview people to find out from them those things we cannot directly observe. A variety of open-ended questions are considered for inclusion in focus group discussion and in interviews. A key consideration during the discussion is the accuracy of the information collected. Interviews and group discussion will not be capable of being repeated due to time constraints and professionalism. Throughout the session, questioning was purposeful to acquire the reason what participants feel about relationship marketing in current business. The best the researcher could do was to encourage the respondent to express their thoughts and experiences. Researcher tried let the discussion remain focused as he has to play the key role throughout. Analysis of the outcome of the groups was undertaken by collating the comments made and categorizing responses. According to Marshall and Rossman (1989), the advantages of interviewing that face-to-face meeting with informants obtains large amount of expansive and contextual data which facilitate access for immediate follow-up. Data collection for clarification and omissions is possible. Data are collected in natural setting because data obtains on non-verbal behaviour and communication. Interview facilitates analysis, validity checks, and triangulation, which also provides background context for more focus on activities, behaviours, and events. Interviewing is great utility for uncovering the subjective side, the natives perspective of organisational processes. Some of the disadvantages of interviewing that data are open to misinterpretation due to cultural differences, especially in diverse society. Depends on the co-operation of a small group of key informants and procedure are not always explicit. Interviewing depends on researchers opportunity or characteristics because data are often sub ject to observer effects; obtrusive or reactive because its dependent on the honesty of those providing the data , dependent on the ability of the researcher to be resourceful, systematic and honest; to control bias. 3.7 Analysis: Unquestionably, data analysis is the most composite and puzzling of all of the phases of a qualitative project (Thorne, 2000).Therefore, to analyze the data, it was important to choose a relevant method which suited the research approach. Considering all possibilities available Grounded Theory was decided to be the most suitable form of analysis, as grounded theory offers a way of attending in detail the qualitative material in order to develop systematically theories about the phenomena which have been observed (Turner, 1983). It also gives internal validity to a study because of its systematic processes. The discussion from each focus group was listened to a couple of times, and the transcription read a couple of times so as to develop a familiarity to the researcher with the content, as Hague and Jackson (1999) points out that with interviews it is generally good practice to transcribe them into typed up context and carry out analysis with this material. A lot of revelations became and most noticeable being the differences and similarities between the groups. The researcher spent time on examining upon the different parts of the discussions so as to attain a right understanding of what was actually meant by the respondents. Interpreting the data and simplifying meaning from the analysis (Miles and Huberman, 1994) is difficult task. All the emerging ideas were examined further at each stage of analysis, with the regular refining which formed the recoding stage of the grounded theory process. All through this analysis stage an attempt was made to relate the concepts to the previous re search where possible. Accessibility is essential to people within the organizations i.e. telecom industry that are involved in customer relationship management, management of customer data to retain the data of existing customers. Such sources would give key insights into how organizations are responding to the threats and opportunities of relationship marketing in the electronic age and with a freshness and energy that would deliver inspirational and perhaps leading edge thinking into e-marketing and the link with content. In summary the methodology of this research is developed from the question, to get better understanding of the concept relationship marketing. How content is being used to build relationship with existing customers. Throughout the development of the methodology, the most suitable research design methods is chosen with regards to this question alongside other more practical considerations. The limitations of research methodology are included accessibility to the research population of interest and time constraint. A major consideration in this study was perceptual and subjective bias although this is likely to apply to any research of this type and topic. However, ultimately the interpretation of the results is subject to the researchers own perception especially due to the researchers natural interest in the subject matter. 3.8 Methodological Critique This section reveals the flaws and defects which may have resulted because of the chosen methodology. Firstly, the qualitative approach was chosen but some practitioners who still believe that the qualitative research even now experiences from an uncertain image (Coldwell, 1990). The qualitative research which does not meet the requirements of validity and reliability as opponents of qualitative research time and again refer to the fact that this kind of research does not meet the demands of validity and reliability, standard which are usually viewed as the basis of any research. Indeed, as a consequence of the relative choice and lack of structure and inflexibility characteristic of most qualitative research methods it is simple to question validity and reliability in their conventional sense (Kirk and Miller, 1986; Warren, 1991; Warren and Cragg, 1991). Even the selected sample size was too small and cannot be said to provide the accuracy for the research as the small, qualitative study cannot maintain the power; mainly the sample studied cannot stand for the whole population sight and feelings. Methodological triangulation can be utilized to improve the reliability and validity of the facts (Denzin, 1989). Triangulation, whereby methods are derived from se veral sources, ideally using both qualitative and quantitative data would have been a superior approach this enhances validity (Threlfall, 1999). It would have also allowed cross referencing of data. As the researcher himself was the moderator, so it cannot be said a perfect condition for the focus group because a moderator for the focus group facilitation should be experienced and have some topic background, if available, would be an ideal moderator (Seggern and Young, 2003). The methodology of using focus groups and the availability of past research allowed the researcher to have data from different sources. The participants were known to the researcher and the majority were friends and colleagues, so the biasness to the discussion could have been created by them and the direction given by the moderator at times did not allow the respondents to express their true view, as the data acquired from the focus group is likely to symbolize the preconceived thoughts of the moderator as the approach of the subject interviewed (Threlfall, 1999). The group discussion in the focus group may let the respondents to leave the major conflicting views as it has been argued that group interaction can also be a major disadvantage of focus groups as it may inhibit the exchange of opinions and ideas and lead to the loss of minority or opposing points of view (Gordon and Langmaid, 1988). The discussion for this kind of study have provided the researcher with the substantial amount of data, some of which were relevant to the study and much which had no direct connection with the topic investigated because participants focus on one another rather than the researcher (Kitzinger, 1994). During the focus group discussion, respondents engaged in active talks to reach a same view for the group and it was hard to correctly record this conversation with a tape recorder, since on many occasions more than one respondent was conversing at one time. There is a possibility that the topic remain less or more inert throughout the discussion because the guide given by the questioner which may escort them the other way (Threlfall, 1999). In other terms researcher can say that the information gathered

September 11th: The Day Innocence Died :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

September 11th, 8:45 a.m.: A large plane, possibly a hijacked airliner, crashes into one of the World Trade Center towers, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it afire. 9:03 a.m.: A second plane, apparently a passenger jet, crashes into the second World Trade Center tower and explodes. Both buildings are burning. 9:30 a.m.: Bush, speaking in Florida, says the country has suffered an "apparent terrorist attack." 9:43 a.m.: An aircraft crashes into the Pentagon, sending up a huge plume of smoke. Evacuation begins immediately. 9:45 a.m.: The White House evacuates. 10:05 a.m.: The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses, plummeting into the streets below. A massive cloud of dust and debris forms and slowly drifts away from the building. 10:10 a.m.: A portion of the Pentagon collapses. 1:27 p.m.: A state of emergency is declared by the city of Washington. 1:30 p.m. The country wants answers. First shock, then terror, followed by sorrow, and lastly rage. How could such an act be committed on American soil? This country asks this question in disbelief. The US demands answers and revenge for this act of evil. Who is to blame for the possible tens of thousands of deaths? The only way to answer this question is to look at the people that could do such an act and what possible reasons they would have for doing it. This county as a hole looks over seas for answers, they look to a county called Afghanistan that harbors a terrorist called Osama bin Laden. "Bin Laden, an Islamic fundamentalist and the son of a Saudi billionaire, has been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitive list since 1999, and the U.S. State Department has offered a $5 million reward for his arrest." Quoted from www.cnn.com. Most U.S. prosecutors say bin Laden is the leader of a group called al Qaeda (Arabic for "the Base"), this is a network blamed for successful and failed terrorist strikes on the U.S. Some are the millennium-bombing plot, last year's attack on the USS Cole, in Yemen killing 17 U.S. sailors and wounding 39, and the nearly simultaneous bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. Bin Laden, a Muslim believes that he is fighting a holy war in the name of his religion. Muslims are Followers of the Islam religion. They believe that Allah is the One True God.

The California Gold Rush Essay -- essays research papers

The California Gold Rush   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The California Gold Rush of 1849 is one of the most interesting and exiting events of the United States. From the wild stories of men striking it big, to the heart wrenching tales of people losing everything, these are what make it so alluring. There are many aspects of the California Gold Rush; effects on California; individual stories of struggle; and effects on the United States as a young country looking for stability.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  San Francisco was a small town of a few hundred people in 1840, but by 1850 it was a huge city whose economy was injected with gold money. This rapid growth and development was brought on by an accidental discovery by James Marshall. â€Å"I reached my hand down and picked it up; it made my heart thump, for I was certain it was gold. The piece was about half the size and shape of a pea. Then I saw another.† Marshall had been working on a lumber mill for John Sutter, when he made his discovery. Early efforts were made in the beginning to keep the discovery quiet, but they soon failed, and lead way to one of the single largest migration of American’s across the continent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  California saw many changes very fast. Most of these play part in shaping it into what it is today. From Hollywood to San Francisco, today’s lifestyles in California have roots in the Gold Rush. Because the failure rate was so high, it became common to come out to California lookin...

The Great Depression and John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath :: John Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath

The Great Depression and John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath Though most Americans are aware of the Great Depression of 1929, which may well be "the most serious problem facing our free enterprise economic system", few know of the many Americans who lost their homes, life savings and jobs. This paper briefly states the causes of the depression and summarizes the vast problems Americans faced during the eleven years of its span. This paper primarily focuses on what life was like for farmers during the time of the Depression, as portrayed in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, and tells what the government did to end the Depression. In the 1920's, after World War 1, danger signals were apparent that a great Depression was coming. A major cause of the Depression was that the pay of workers did not increase at all. Because of this, they couldn't afford manufactured goods. While the factories were still manufacturing goods, Americans weren't able to afford them and the factories made no money (Drewry and O'connor 559). Another major cause related to farmers. Farmers weren't doing to well because they were producing more crops and farm products than could be sold at high prices. Therefore, they made a very small profit. This insufficient profit wouldn't allow the farmers to purchase new machinery and because of this they couldn't produce goods quick enough (Drewry and O'connor 559). A new plan was created called the installment plan. This plan was established because many Americans didn't have enough money to buy goods and services that were needed or wanted. The installment plan stated that people could buy products on credit and make monthly payments. The one major problem with this idea was that people soon found out that they couldn't afford to make the monthly payment(Drewry and O'connor 559). In 1929 the stock market crashed. Many Americans purchased stocks because they were certain of the economy. People started selling their stocks at a fast pace; over sixteen million stocks were sold! Numerous stock prices dropped to fraction of their value. Banks lost money from the stock market and from Americans who couldn't pay back loans. Many factories lost money and went out of business because of

World Oil Economy

Energy has been the main concern of nations looking for progress and development throughout history, oil has always been one such means of energy that is capable of sustaining the large scale development projects many nations have undertaken, the utility generated by oil cannot be substituted with the same efficiency by any other energy generation means, oil today is used in transportation, manufacturing, infrastructure development, power generation etc. All the uses of oil are so vital and important in nature that any hindrance in the supply of oil can wreck havoc in the world economic system. In recent years, we have seen the prices of oil reach to new heights and it’s an accepted fact that oil prices fluctuating always deal a blow to the economic system on a global level. Whenever there is uncertainty about oil supply due to violence in the Niger delta or political turmoil in Iran or Venezuela or due to the Iraq war. The world markets always react to it and we see a negative impact on the overall economy the prices of oil surge to record heights, such is the case we witnessed in 2008 and early 2009 until recession came into full force and due to dropping demand the prices of oil lowered considerable. But the fundamental question remained energy and the quest for energy and how the global oil economy is working having a direct and immediate impact on the economy of the world. (IEA, 2008) The reason for this issue to come to the forefront are the oil shocks and their negative effects the world has witnessed in the last few decades, it all started with the Arab-Israeli war in 1973, then came the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, then was the attack on Iran by Iraq and later the attack on Kuwait in 1980 and 1990, then was the operation desert storm for liberation of Kuwait in 1991, further down the line was the War in Iraq after the allegations of weapons of mass destruction being in possession of Iraq, the war in Lebanon with Israel and in recent times the Iran issue threatens to jeopardize the supply of oil to other countries of the world. Right before the recession started effecting the economies in the year 2008, the world was experiencing a very healthy growth rate, countries like China and India were booming giving a rise to demand of oil and related products which naturally played a role in the rise of oil prices In recent years due to the economic crisis we see that the price of oil experienced a massive drop from the record heights it had managed to reach, and that prompted OPEC which is a organization of oil producing and exporting countries to undertake supply cuts in hopes of controlling the price and stopping it from dropping below and acceptable level. In the last few years, OPEC has made sure that it controls the supply of oil to the market in a tight manner and the recent surge in prices gave them a windfall of profit but it should be kept in mind that the global inventory of oil is low as well and it should not be forgotten that concerns do exist about a shortage of oil in the future which will effective ly jam the growth of all countries of the world. The fact that is most interesting that the prices of oil start depicting the effects of news and speculation even before anything actually happens which is also a reason that speculation plays a very big role in oil pricing mechanisms, since the whole game is about the supply and oil deliveries reaching their intended destinations that’s the core reason that prices get effected by the news and expected events or incidents. (Jesse et al, 2008) The market does possess certain complaints with the oil producing and exporting countries as well, it has been seen time and time again that whenever there is fear that the oil prices are going to experience a big drop OPEC immediately introduces production cuts to balance the effect but on the other hand when the prices of oil hit the ceiling there is very little or almost no effort done by the OPEC countries to control the situation and hence it creates a negative feeling about these countries in the non-OPEC nations. It wont be wrong to suggest that the entire world economy is more dependent on oil and its resulting impacts then any other single factor, countries like China and India have been going through massive development and they supply their products to markets in the west as well as the east and hence the prices and fluctuations in oil prices and supply have a deep impact on these economies, on the other hand poor nations emerge as the biggest losers in case of major turmoil in oil markets. The rise in oil prices has a fundamental contribution to the increase in inflation and trade imbalances in various countries and the prices of oil start a chain effect hindering the abilities of a country to economically strengthen or at times even sustain the current economic strength. On a long term basis we witness that nations are increasingly taking interest in resources that can be used as substitute to oil, development of ethanol is one such example of work being done in alternate energy sources, another interesting observation is that most oil exporting countries are eager to maintain national control over the oil resources but such a strategy also logically leads to less investment in the sector and that’s subsequently leads to maintenance of higher prices in the near future. (Jesse et al, 2008) â€Å"In an elegant and influential paper, it was shown that oil price spikes might lead to a high degree of subsequent uncertainty that causes firms to hold up their investment projects, thereby leading to a dip in overall output. In theory, this effect could be important, though there is not yet much corroborating empirical evidence. â€Å"(Ben Bernanke, 1983) Some studies done by the IMF in 2003 suggest that a 5$ a barrel increase in oil price would lower the global output by 0. 3%, with Europe and Africa being the most effected areas since Asia, and Latin American does consist of oil exporting countries. The problem here is that the effect on fast paced developing countries is much more then as compared to other countries and secondly if we consider situation of a poor nation which is already facing a heavy import bill, the oil shock can end up being a back breaker for them with the impact being at least 4 times more intense. What makes oil products different from other commodities based on the demand and supply principle is that fact that it is used for energy purposes and the price effects for the oil producers and people who consumer oil are more difficult to be adjusted to in the short run then on the long run. Over a long run the factors induced by oil price uncertainty and the political uncertainties surrounding it can definitely be managed as societies are known to evolve over a period of time, needs and ways of getting the job done change from time to time, already we see that the world has become wary of the Oil weapon in the hands of a particular cartel which gives them an edge and a negotiating slip for their interests as they are fully aware that the dependence of the world is on the recourses provided by them. (IEA, 2008) In relation to the countries which are heavily dependent on oil to meet their energy requirements the picture is not so good, as they are so dependent on oil even short run fluctuations have a major impact on the position of their revenues, Oil industry requires massive investments to setup and a long lead time is involved in making the ventures profitable this situation further complicated by oil price fluctuations make it a risky venture. One option for them is to try and diversify the risk they are taking by the sharing of the costs involved with countries they are allied with or the private sector, the existence of oil stabilization funds in countries like Norway can be made of use to stabilize the shocks arising from volatile fluctuations. (Rogoff, 2006) Another good measure will be for other countries to exercise much more flexible monetary policies, countries that are into commodity manufacturing export like South Africa, New Zealand, Australia allow their exchange rates too adjust accordingly with the fluctuations in the prices for the commodities they export. Similarly oil producing countries will be able to induce exchange rate flexibility helping to avoid the sudden deflation that normally occurs. Another question that comes in every individuals mind is how long will the oil reserves last, every now and then we get estimates providing deadlines like oil will run out in about 50 years time or 100 years time but the fact is we just cant be sure about it, there is another circle of thought that believes that with the developing technology and sophisticated methods it will be possible to discover more oil reserves which may last for a very long time. Recently questions did arise about the size of reserves of particular countries or large corporate entities like Royal Dutch Shell but the point to be understood is the oil industry is covered with various complexities like the large scale work involved in identifying potential spots for oil reserves, undertaking massive investment to explore the marked areas and then judging the size of underlying reserves due to all these factors the experts tend to prefer taking a conservative approach instead of going full board and then coming up with disappointing revisions knowing perfectly that the prices of oil are directly effected by the discovery of new reserves. (Jesse et al, 2008) The Political side of the Oil game can never be ignored or downplayed since it’s a major factor, for countless years the world oil industry was being ruled by a limited number of corporate giants operating in collaboration and keeping away from each others territories all over the world. The companies h ad been able to obtain large number of areas in oil rich countries as their turf and were allowed to operate freely. These corporate entities were operating like state’s functioning within state’s, their roles and ways of functioning have been documented on various occasions by investigative studies and new findings continue to arise on a more regular basis. These companies were allowed to use their massive budgets and resources to influence the elected officials in many of the countries and at certain points even gain outcomes in the political and legal arenas as per their wishes. What resulted from this strong influence were the fantastic terms of agreement and other concessions these companies were able to obtain with ease furthermore they were also able to protect the industry from nationalization policies which were attempted in various countries as well. (Mitchell et al, 2001) Although today the situation is different from what it used to be as many countries have preferred to operate in the oil industry only with their nationally run entities, but there are other countries which seem to be opening up to international entities and the need to tight regulation and control arises from this situation if the mistakes of the past are to be avoided. It can also be said that the roles of the past have been somewhat reversed in current times, these days companies face far stringent regulations and terms to be met with by some of the countries. On other hand we can also see the example of sanctions imposed by the US on certain oil rich countries which directly hinders the American oil companies from undertaking any research and development of oil reserves in the territories being blocked by the American sanctions. It is important to understand that in recent times the situation in the World oil industry has experienced a significant shift from what it used to be, the companies have started taking a more professional and business oriented approach, negotiations are done on the basis of mutual benefits. (Borenstein, 2008) Concerns about the future supply and availability of oil due to political reasons arise every now and then but it is very important to understand that the countries producing and exporting oil cannot hold it and disrupt supply for long periods as they themselves are significantly dependent on revenues generated from oil they sell in the world markets so any disruption can only be of a very small amount of time and not something very substantial to be a matter of great concern. (Jesse et al, 2008) In relation to the growing demand of oil, it is predicted by many researchers that the oil prices will remain high but the high prices should be considered a permanent change in fact the growing awareness of substituting oil and energy based resources should be kept in mind as we know today that large amounts of coal reserves do exist which have not been discovered or are not being utilized at present, such alternative energy resources if brought into action in the future in large scale projects will definitely make the prices of oil dip significantly knowing that the current dip in prices is only because of the recession and demand drops being experienced all over the world, but the recession is temporary and it will pass but the situation will definitely become much more interesting when the alternative energy resources are brought into the market scenario. Obviously the level of oil supplies cannot be sustained indefinitely and some data obtained form research on this topic comes very handy here. (Kate et al, 2008) In the month of November 2007, the World Economic Outlook 2007 of the international energy agency came up with a finding that was alarming for everyone, stated that a â€Å"supply side crunch leading in the period to 2015 involving an abrupt escalation of prices cannot be ruled out , the findings further suggested that due to short term inelasticity a demand supply gap could open up a gap of about 13. 5 million barrels per day in the span of coming seven years, we also saw similar warnings coming from the CEO’s of Chevron, Total and the royal Dutch shell† Interestingly the paper attributed these findings to be more related to the economic and political circumstances around the world that could hinder the exploration and development of new reserves which are fundamental to the world oil economy. Furthermore the paper goes on to state that the methods being used to calculate the current oil reserves in the world are variable and have the tendency to be incorrect which creates confusion since no comprehensive and accurate system exists till this point, most of the figures being quoted are nothing more then reasonable guesses. (IEA, 2004) In terms of the future outlook looking at the world political and economic situation it seems unlikely that a positive platform may get developed for wide scale exploratory and development work in potential spots around the world in search for oil reserves which basically advocates to the fact that the world maybe heading towards another oil price shock. The paper sums it up as that although oil reserves may not run out any time soon and it wont be an abrupt affair as well, the reserves may last for quite some time before the crisis is at our doors but the it is important to develop a system to foresee any undesirable development and take steps to neutralize it before it triggers a crisis which could be one of the worst ones the world is going to see, and like it was suggested that the OPEC countries seem to be taking a lethargic approach towards development of new reserves for the future generation and this needs to be corrected and a more active approach is required from all the parties involved. (Jesse et al, 2008) A study done in the Netherlands also came up with some very interesting findings which are mentioned below: The study suggests that if the world economy was not hit by the recession then at this point in time the prices of oil could have reached a whooping 200$ a barrel due to supply constraints, it is also suggested that after the recession such a situation of supply constraint and high prices could last well for a decade at least. (Barry, 2005) According to this paper, â€Å"Due to the supply strain the oil prices will oscillate between two variables: a) The cost of the marginal barrel of supply as determined by the most expensive barrel plus a margin for supply/demand fundamentals and geopolitical risks, driven by open markets in an OECD economic framework, and ) The real User Value of oil – determined by increasingly closed markets (for new reserve exploitation; for bilateral oil trade flows; for refined products), as supported by several of the major OPEC countries and Russia. â€Å" The two options above are distinctive price regimes and as mentioned in the paper the prices wont follow one single regime entirely in fact with changing trends an conditions each of the two regimes will come in play time and time again. Some other factors in relation to it are about the oil futures market as it is the indicator and signaling mechanism of the future prices of oil in the international market. From a traditional point of view high prices of oil should encourage producers to develop and supply more expensive oil and benefit from the high prices but we have not seen any such scenario developing instead the prices are just a test of the consumer behavior towards the changes and the resulting demand. Due to the political and social situation an uncertainty lingers and when such times of great uncertainty are in effect either the price really shoots up or shoots down depending on the conditions. We have already seen the prices shoot up drastically in the last year 2008. It should be understood that although in the short term the actions and reactions of speculators may have an impact on the oil prices but they have no impact in the long run and in the case of current oil prices it is the long run which is the driver behind the volatility. (Kate et al, 2008) In a period of less the 15 years the consumer base for oil has doubled, the situation has changed rapidly from what it was in the early 1990’s, Countries like China and India plus the other developing nations have substantial energy requirements which is naturally dependent on oil, further more the increase in the demand for oil was not exactly being matched by new discoveries of oil reserves resulting in a scenario where we have an extreme strain on the oil industry and the struggle of the industry to provide sustained supply can be understood. Although high oil prices do have an impact on the growth globally but the rate of responsiveness to high prices has not been as substantial till now, at present oil has become a necessity to meet fundamental energy requirements and the absence of substitute resources on a mass level is mainly responsible for the situation. In any given scenario we see that oil will remain the fundamental and the most basic resource for meeting the glob al energy requirements at least for a few decades. The recently revised figures by the international energy agency show that over the next 22 years the supply of oil will only increase at half the pace then it was originally anticipated to which will be about 13 to 18 million barrels per day as compared to previously anticipated 29 million barrels per day. The figures further suggest that the development and discovery pace of new oil reserves and supply of new oil to the market will require serious efforts if the world demand for oil has to be met and a global energy crisis has to be averted. The scenario suggests that if some drastic discoveries are not made, oil rationing will be done in countries to accommodate the need for growing and developing countries, further more countries will have to take effective steps in withdrawing oil products subsidies without triggering massive inflation so as to curb the growing demand for oil. A fierce battle will also begin for domination over scare resources, this can range from tough price wars to even geo political tensions and ultimately even leading to wars. A deep and prolonged recession can be one of the likely outcomes if an energy crisis takes the world in its grip. Quickly shooting up oil prices may not be the only fate the world may face if countries which are non-OPEC but they do possess significant oil reserves step up to the plate and in collaboration with major oil consuming countries make the oil available in the international market, currently these resources are not being developed and made use of due to the massive investment needed in developing them and the uncertainty relating to demand, not to forget the economic crisis the world has been gripped by. If these countries are able to collaborate and make use of the idle resources then the predictions of massive rise in oil prices in the next decade will fade, although the prices of oil will rise in the future but in a more orderly and controlled fashion without causing any economic turmoil or crisis. (Kate et al, 2008) Steps and measures will be required to change the scenario from an Oil supply constrained condition to a more energy sustainable globe. It is a fact that the world needs time to adapt itself to new measures and steps to reduce the dependence on oil and use the latest technology to develop renewable energy resources and supplement oil with the alternative fuels so that the strain on the oil supply be relieved. Iraq is one of the major producers of oil in the world but the Iraqi oil producing and exporting capacity has been negatively affected by the constant turmoil and violence in the country, if the conflict is resolved and the violence subsides then the capacity development and supply by Iraq can play a big role in calming the international oil market. (Kate et al, 2008) What needs to be understood that the size of the world oil economy is huge, it produces about 84 million barrels a day which is a huge size by any metrics. A resource being generated and utilized on such a large scale cannot be substituted over night, it will take a very long time for any viable alternative to be developed and for it to be available in a mass quantity. Only suitable alternatives being developed by using latest technology are the 1st generation bio fuels and by the estimates it becomes clear that although the supply and size of this option will increase but there will be no dramatic and significant rise in the bio fuels to have a big impact on the strain being experienced by the oil supply side. In recent years we have seen attempts made by geo-economic layers to secure access to oil reserves by getting into understanding with oil producing countries not just by business to business contact anymore but by a government to government contact. The importance of geo-politics and international relations can not be ignored In this scenario when the challenges to transform the world into an energy sustainable entity are mammoth and the complexity is expected to increase we set forth on the path to reforming the world oil economy. We see that the world is in the grip of a credit crisis, very high rates of inflation, imbalances in the balance of trade and a weak dollar, many economies are suffering from the resulting recession and they will find it very difficult to incorporate new measures to adapt themselves to the new situation that has arisen today. The recent windfall earnings made by the oil producing and exporting countries is also something that brings them to the forefront in the global arena, it remains to see whether these funds are used to develop new oil reserves so that the strain on the current reserves is reduced or these funds are withheld and used for other purposes. (Kate et al, 2008) The geographical and political tensions are already on the rise in the quest for energy and resources, specially since these recourses are in the hands of a small number countries with high concentration, the question that arises is whether the oil exporting countries and the oil consuming countries will be able to collaborate and co-operate with each other to turn the situation towards an energy sustainable environment or will things take a turn towards the worse resulting in conflict and competition for the dominance over resources by all means necessary. The situation will of course be dependent on the condition of the gap in supply and demand the level of growth being experienced in the world. Confrontations can be expected between these countries as one group will be of the countries holding the keys to al the resources and the other group will be the one in need of these resources. In recent times we have also seen threats by countries like Iran to not only halt petroleum supplies but also block the channel through which oil is supplied to the rest of the world from the middle east, this is one scenario which we are likely to witness incase there is war in Iran. In recent times King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia invited oil consuming and producing countries to the Jeddah summit to discuss the developing situation in the oil markets and the impact of oil prices on the world economy. Hopefully this can be the start of the collaboration and co-operation hoped for between the countries to a better tomorrow.

Mulan & Story Essay

This story is based on the Chinese legend whose name is Mulan. I am going to write a short story about her life. Mulan is a loveable girl. But she didn’t fit in with Chinese tradition because she was clumsy. Also she has a bad habit of speaking her mind and following her heart which gets her into a lot of trouble. Mulan’s parents send her to the matchmaker who sees if she is ready to marry. But Mulan failed miserably because she was clumsy. She has a guardian dragon, Mushu, and a lucky Cricket, who travel with her. When the Huns attack China, the Chinese emperor ordered each member of the family including Mulan’s family to fight in the battle. So Mulan’s father had to fight because in china women’s weren’t allowed to fight. Mulan feared her father’s life so she secretly watched her father as he moved his sword. Within a few moves of swinging the sword he fell down to the floor. Since she realized that he was too weak to fight, she secretly stole his sword, armor, and the ordered scrolls during the night. Then she disguises herself as a man, and takes her father’s place and joins the army. The captain of Mulan’s military unit is Shang, who is the son of a General. Shang leads his troops into battle and challenges the Huns. It didn’t take long to realize that their army was outnumbered. While the hunts ran forward to attack Mulan’s army, a taught emerged in Mulan’s mind that was to fire the last cannon on the top of the mountain which was close to the Huns’s army. While Mulan was fulfilling her plan the leader of the Hunt’s army who was close to her tried to stop her but Mulan successfully managed to fire the last cannon on the top of the mountain. Even though he wasn’t able to stop her, he managed to wound her. Since the cannon hit the top of the mountain it caused an avalanche. So the Huns’ was buried in the snow. But during the avalanche Shang, and Mulan’s pet were about to die. But she saved herself and the caption, and her pets by the help of the soldiers. 5. Her family was so happy to see her. Her father was frail, but alive. Her brother had grown into a wonderful young man. Without regret, Mulan give her warrior’s clothes to her little brother, and dressed in the clothes of a woman. They could hardly believe their eyes when Mulan answered. Her story spread across China, to inspire young girls everywhere. If you love enough and have courage enough, you can accomplish anything, no matter how impossible it might seem to others.