Shakespeare’s Othello is a Tragedy Essay -- Othel Literature Shakespea

Shakespeare’s Othello is a Tragedy A tragedy has many definitions, but the Merriam-Webster version defines it as: â€Å"a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (as destiny) and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror.† The latter part, about disastrous conclusion is true for Shakespeare’s tragedies, and Othello is no exception. Roderigo blindly follows Iago’s lead and while his contribution to the disaster is minimal at best, he still is able to feed Iago’s desire for revenge, as all the characters do. The only difference between Roderigo and the other characters is how he does it. Roderigo is madly in love with Desdemona and wants her for himself. The first sign of Roderigo’s desires comes from Barbantio when he speaks: â€Å"I have charged thee not to haunt my doors:/In honest plainness thou hast heard me say/My daughter is not for thee†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (I, i) Iago seduces Roderigo’s compliance in the disaster by dripping sweetened words of his attempts to sway Desdemona away from Othello. Roderigo, in his naà ¯ve and loving mind, give Iago the financial means to further his plot of disaster. Iago tells Roderigo that the money and jewels he spends go to Desdemona, but there is little evidence of this. And it seems unlikely that Iago needed large sums of money to exact his revenge on the Moor. He does it with words and a handkerchief, not rubies and emeralds. But Roderigo’s lust for Desdemona leads to his attempt to kill Cassio. After Iago has convinced Cassio to plea to Desdemona for his rank back, Iago is then able to convince Roderigo that the way to take Desdemona is to kill Cassio (IV, ii) because, according to Iago, Cassio and Desdemona are now sleeping together. It is ultimately his attempts to defile and kill Cassio that contribute the most to the tragedy. He causes Cassio to lose his rank (II, iii) and then attempts to kill him. The question Roderigo should’ve been asking himself is this: â€Å"If Desdemona is such a lovely, innocent creature, why does she jump from bed to bed? What makes me think that she’d stay in mine?† Emilia’s role in the tragedy seems very small at first. Iago mentions suspicions of unfaithfulness very early on (I, iii) but it is not these suspicions that Emilia contributes to her death and the death of others. Rather, it is the very simple action of... ... not a factor. So what drives Iago to commit all these acts? Jealousy is a major portion, but perhaps Iago views this all as a game as well. He prides himself on his wit and cunning and is appreciated for it by his peers. Perhaps it is ego that drives Iago to do all of this, a test of his skills to see if he can keep so many threads playing together and for his benefit. Almost all of his actions, plantings seeds of doubt (III, iii) or giving dangerous instructions (II, iii) lead to the tragic ending of the play. Even at the end, Iago refuses to explain his motives, by simply saying, â€Å"What you know, you know.† (V, ii). Perhaps this was Shakespeare’s way of saying not to look for a reason, but rather to appreciate what an amazing amount of cunning and patience this would’ve taken to pull off. In the end, Iago’s last words perhaps best suit the play. â€Å"What you know, you know.† Everything is presented for the entire world to see, with little hidden meanings to things and actions. Roderigo’s lust, Emilia’s fear and loyalty, Desdemona’s purity, Othello’s trust and insecurities, and Iago’s jealousy and ego contribute to the â€Å"disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror.

Borders and Walls in Humanity :: History Barriers Society Philosophy Essays

Borders and Walls in Humanity When a wall is encountered literally and physically, there are many different ways in which a person can react to the situation. One group of people would generally just find a way over or around the obstacle. While some other people might pursue a way directly through the wall. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but they both exist as outcomes to the same dilemma. The basic wall has been around with humans for as long as the discovery of masonry has been around. Robert Frost’s poem Mending Wall is one such example of how a wall can have conflicting properties of human interaction. The neighbor in the poem says that â€Å"fences make good neighbors† and that the two neighbors involved with the wall rebuild it each spring and they enjoy fixing the wall with each other. The poem just helps illustrate that walls are an important factor in human activities. Walls are not limited to any specific culture or region and still they continue to be built over t ime. Yet the general application of the wall has been used primarily to either wall something out, or to keep something walled in. The earliest walls were made with a human skill called stone masonry which is the skilled stacking of stones to form a cohesive structure. Walls as just a singular structure and not to be considered as part of an enclosed building with a roof, is a general subject that changes details from area to area. Walls the keep things in have generally been used as a way to border up local activities within a certain amount of space. Some more obvious examples of walls as barriers to keep things within the walls include; prisons, walled-in private communities, farm fences, and other examples where people want to maintain their own private space. Walls that can do the exact opposite of keeping substance inside are meant to be obstructions that keep other things outside from a space. National and private borders are an example of walling out unwanted factors . Security fences, walls as defensive locations, and walls simply placed for the sole purpose of obstruction are effective obstacles that humans have been building for centuries. Early building materials for a wall would be limited to the natural resources in the local area that the builders would want to build the wall in.

Education of the Middle Ages Essay

Education, as we know it today, did not exist in the Middle Ages. Illiteracy was dominant among the population. Scribes were the exception to the rule. Churches were the main source of knowledge and schooling. Real interest in learning grew along with the development of towns. The towns’ officials needed to be educated. At the same time a need for legal institutions was created and so started the university phenomenon. Modern education was on its way. There were few schools in the Middle ages, so everyone had limited education. Even the Lord of the Manor was often unable to read or write. Some of the first schools were Cathedral schools. As well as Parish, Monastic, and Palace schools. Here people learned a particular role in society. Naturally the primary job was training the clergy in their professional duties as priests of the Christian people. The bishop was the head of the complex and he had a staff of priest to help him with the several of the diocese. These skills that were taught here were reading, singing of hymns, church law, writing of documents and the performing of Church duties and sacraments. An example of educating for a specific role in life were the Knights who had learn how to fight with various weapons so that they could fight for their king. The common people, however, had no way of being educated other than going a monastic school. However, if they did this, they had to donate their property to the church. The people who went to this school later become monks or nuns. They had to follow three important laws: chastity, obedience, and the law or the lord if not followed they would be thrown out of the monastery. Most monasteries had a rule of silence: monks could not talk which other except for a short period of time. During meals one monk might read passages from the bible while the others mediated. Even though monks’ lives seem to be so hard it was the best place to go for a good education for anybody from a king to a beggar (Monasteries 488-499). Women took part in monastic life by living in a convent under a direction of an abbess. Known as nuns, they wore simple clothes and wrapped a white cloth called a wimple around their face and neck. They alternated prayer with spinning, weaving, and embroiling items such as tapestries and banners. They also taught needlework and the medicinal use of herbs to daughters of nobles (Couglin A6). Although monks and nuns lived apart from society, they were not completely isolated. Indeed, they played a crucial role in medieval intellectual and social life. Since few people could read or write, the regular clergy preserved ancient and the classical writings. Scribes copied all the books by hand working in a small drafty room with one candle or a small window for light. Illuminated manuscripts decorated with rich colors and intricate pictures indicate that, although the task was done with hard work, it was also lovingly done (Monastaries 499-501). Monasteries and convents provided not only schools for young people, but hospitals for the sick, food for the needy, and a home for travelers who need a place to stay (Monasteries 499-501). Cathedral schools were there to train higher-member of the Church in their professional duties as ministers of the Christian people. The bishop in whose Cathedral complex the school was located needed a group of trained priests to administer the various needs dioceses. The Cathedral school largely emphasized practical skills, effective reading, singing, and knowledge of Church Law, public speaking and the administration of the holy sacraments (Corbishely 28). At first the university was not so much a place as it was a group of scholars organized like a guild for the purpose of learning. Classes were held in rented rooms or churches even in the open air. Books were scarce. In most classes teacher read the text and discussed it, while students took notes on slates or memorized as much information as possible. Classes did, however meet regularly schedule. University rules established the obligations of the students and the teachers toward each other. To qualify as a teacher students had to pass an exam leading to a degree, or a certificate of completion (Cantor 58). By the end of the 1200’s universities had spread throughout Europe. Most southern European universities were modeled after the law school at Bologna, Italy, and specialized in law and medicine. Universities in Northern Europe on the contrary, specialized in liberal arts in Theology. These were generally modeled after the University of Paris (Bailey 89). At medieval universities, scholars studied Latin classics and Roman law in depth. They also acquired knowledge from the works of the Greek philosopher Aristotle and from the Islamic scholarship in the sciences. This interest in the physical world eventually led a rise of western science (Schools 291-292). Many church leaders opposed the study of Aristotle’s works, fearing that his ideas feared the Christian teachings. In contrast some scholars thought that new knowledge could be used ideas. The applied Aristotle philosophy to theological questions and developed a system of thought called scholasticism. This new type of learning emphasized reason as well as the faith in the interpretations of Christian doctrine. Scholastic sought to bring back classical philosophy along side with the teachings of the Church. They believed that knowledge could be integrated into a coherent whole (Schools 295). One scholastic teacher, Peter Aberlard taught theology in Paris during the early 1100’s. In his book Sic et Non, he collected statements from the bible writings of early Christian leaders that showed both sides of controversial questions. Abearld then had his students reconcile the difference though logic. In the 1200’s the most important scholastic thinker was Thomas Aquinas a brilliant theologian and philosopher who taught philosophy in Naples and France. In his work Summa Theolgica Aquinas claimed that reason was a gift from god that could provide answers to basic philosophical questions. The catholic later accepted and promoted Aquinas’s way of teaching and thinking (Schools 310). The education of a knight proceeded in a way similar to that of many medieval occupations. At an early age the prospective knight was apprenticed to serve as a page, or attendant, in a knight’s household. In his teens the page graduated to the status of a squire and received more responsibilities. As a squire the boy tended his knight’s horses and armor, but he also gained his first battle experience. Several squires were usually apprenticed to a knight at the same time and on the battlefield they might fight as a small band of infantry around their master. Here they acquired the many skills in arms necessary for their profession. To graduate to the status of a knight, a squire usually performed some heroic deed in battle. The squire was welcomed into the order of knights by being dubbed with a sword or slapped in the face by his lord. Afterwards the new knight would receive his fief, or gift of land. As the cult of chivalry developed in the 12th and 13th centuries, knighting ceremonies became more involved. Often they occurred at court, and a knight’s dubbing might be preceded by a religious vigil in which the knight vowed to uphold Christian and chivalric principles (Davies 12-13). Finally the Renaissance, or rebirth of learning, began in Europe in the 14th century and reached its height in the 15th century. Scholars became more interested in the humanist features that is, the secular or worldly rather than the religious aspects of the Greek and Latin classics. Humanist educators found their models of literary style in the classics. The Renaissance was a particularly powerful force in Italy, most notably in art, literature, and architecture. In literature, the works of such Italian writers as Dante Aleghieri, Petrarch, and Giovanni Boccaccio became especially important (Renaissance 228-229). Humanist educators designed teaching methods to prepare well-rounded, liberally educated persons. Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus was particularly influential. Erasmus believed that understanding and conversing about the meaning of literature was more important than memorizing it, as had been required at many of the medieval religious schools. He advised teachers to study such fields as archeology, astronomy, mythology, history, and Scripture (Renaissance 220). The invention of the printing press in the mid-15th century made books more widely available and increased literacy rates. But school attendance did not increase greatly during the Renaissance. Elementary schools educated middle-class children while lower-class children received little, if any, formal schooling. Children of the nobility and upper classes attended humanist secondary schools (Bailey 112). Educational opportunities for women improved slightly during the Renaissance, especially for the upper classes. Some girls from wealthy families attended schools of the royal court or received private lessons at home. The curriculum studied by young women was still based on the belief that only certain subjects, such as art, music, needlework, dancing, and poetry, were suited for females. For working-class girls, especially rural peasants, education was still limited to training in household duties such as cooking and sewing (Couglin, A8). As it shows education the Middle Ages seems to be so diverse and a starting point for modern education. But the reader must always keep in mind only about five percent of the whole population did all of these educational activities.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, Book and Movie

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, Book and Movie Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo is a novel we highly recommend for ages 8 to 12. Why? Its a combination of the excellent writing by the author, a story both poignant and humorous and a main character, 10-year-old Opal Buloni, who, along with her dog Winn-Dixie, will win readers hearts. The story centers on Opal and the summer she moves with her father to Naples, Florida. With the help of Winn-Dixie, Opal conquers loneliness, makes unusual friends and even convinces her father to tell her 10 things about her mother who abandoned the family seven years ago. The Story With the opening words of Because of Winn-Dixie, author Kate DiCamillo captures young readers attention. My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes and I came back with a dog. With these words, ten-year-old Opal Buloni begins her account of the summer her life changed because of Winn-Dixie, a goofy stray dog she adopted. Opal and her father, whom she usually refers to as the preacher, have just moved to Naomi, Florida. Her mother abandoned the family when Opal was three. Opals father is the preacher at the Open Arms Baptist Church of Naomi. Although they are living at the Friendly Corners Trailer Park, Opal does not have any friends yet. The move and her loneliness make Opal miss her fun loving mother more than ever. She wants to know more about her mother, but the preacher, who misses his wife very much, wont answer her questions. The author, Kate DiCamillo, does an excellent job of capturing the voice of Opal, who is a resilient child. With the help of Winn-Dixie, Opal begins to meet a number of people in her community, some quite eccentric. As the summer progresses, Opal builds a number of friendships with people of all ages and types. She also convinces her father to tell her ten things about her mother, one for every year of Opals life. Opals story is both humorous and poignant as she learns about friendships, families, and moving on. It is, as the author states, ...a hymn of praise to dogs, friendship, and the South. An Award Winner Kate DiCamillo earned one of the highest honors in childrens literature when Because of Winn-Dixie was named a Newbery Honor Book for excellence in young peoples literature. In addition to being named a 2001 Newbery Honor Book, Because of Winn-Dixie was awarded the Josette Frank Award from the Childrens Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education. This annual childrens fiction award honors outstanding works of realistic childrens fiction that portray children who successfully deal with problems. Both awards were well deserved. Author Kate DiCamillo Since the publication of Because of Winn-Dixie in 2000, Kate DiCamillo has gone on to write a number of award-winning childrens books, including The Tale of Despereaux, awarded the John Newbery Medal in 2004, and Flora and Ulysses, awarded the 2014 John Newbery Medal. In addition to all of her writing, Kate DiCamillo served a two-year term as the 2014-2015 National Ambassador for young Peoples Literature. My Recommendations: The Book and the Movie Versions Because of Winn-Dixie was first published in 2000. Since then, paperback, audiobook and e-book editions have been published. The paperback edition is about 192-pages long. The cover of the 2015 paperback edition is pictured above. I would recommend Because of Winn-Dixie for children 8 to 12, although the publisher recommends it for ages 9 to 12. It is also a good book to read aloud to kids 8 to 12. The childrens movie version of Because of Winn-Dixie opened on February 18, 2005. We  would also recommend the Because of Winn-Dixie movie for children between the ages of eight and twelve. Its on the list of the Top Kids Movies Based on Books for Kids Ages 8-12. We recommend your children read Because of Winn-Dixie before seeing the movie. Reading a book allows readers to fill in all of the gaps in a story from their own imaginations, whereas if they see the movie before reading the book, memories of the movie will interfere with their own interpretation of the story. (One caveat: If your kids dont like to read, you can use the movie to interest them in reading the book afterwards.) While we like the movie version of Because of Winn-Dixie very much, we  like the book even better because of DiCamillos writing style and because theres more time and attention spent on character and plot development than in the movie. However, one of the things we particularly like about the movie was the sense of place and time it creates. While a few critics found the movie cloying and trite, the bulk of the reviews matched my perception of the movie as very good and gave it three to four stars and cited it as touching and funny. We agree. If you have children 8 to 12, encourage them to read the book and watch the movie. You might also do the same. For more about the book, download the Candlewick Press Because of Winn-Dixie Discussion Guide. (Candlewick Press, 2000. latest edition 2015. ISBN: 9780763680862)

Free Essays on Negative Effects Of Working And Going To School

In the struggle to become more independent, you must start paying your own way. But there’s a price; stress, lack of social life and sleep depravation are all negative effects of working and going to school. Many people do this, while going to college to better themselves and they must work to pay for it. Because we all know, higher education is not free. Well at least not for most, except for the lucky few with the rich parents! Realistically most people work their way through college, attempting to balance both work and school. But what does all this do to a person? Stress is one of the biggest negative effects plaguing working college students. So much is expected from them. They are expected to work anywhere from ten to forty hours a week, go to school, do another four to eight hours of homework per class and then somehow manage to fit sleep in there. â€Å"Stress can overtax our adjustive capacity, affect our moods, impair our ability to feel pleasure, and harm the body.† Also, â€Å"Stress is the number one reason that college students seek help at college counseling.† (Rathus & Nevid, Psychology, 142) As you can see, stress is a major problem for college students and has many negative effects. One of the worst effects of stress is its effect on one’s health. Stress can literally make you sick, lowering your immune system and opening you up to a Pandora’s Box of problems. At first, it might just be small things like a headache or a cold and then progress to more major problems like respiratory or circulatory problems. The key is to take time out for yourself, and most importantly, get enough sleep. Unfortunately, that rarely happens with so many things to do and so little time. Another major negative effect is lack of sleep. With all these responsibilities placed on these students, it just seems like there aren’t enough hours in a day. Many... Free Essays on Negative Effects Of Working And Going To School Free Essays on Negative Effects Of Working And Going To School In the struggle to become more independent, you must start paying your own way. But there’s a price; stress, lack of social life and sleep depravation are all negative effects of working and going to school. Many people do this, while going to college to better themselves and they must work to pay for it. Because we all know, higher education is not free. Well at least not for most, except for the lucky few with the rich parents! Realistically most people work their way through college, attempting to balance both work and school. But what does all this do to a person? Stress is one of the biggest negative effects plaguing working college students. So much is expected from them. They are expected to work anywhere from ten to forty hours a week, go to school, do another four to eight hours of homework per class and then somehow manage to fit sleep in there. â€Å"Stress can overtax our adjustive capacity, affect our moods, impair our ability to feel pleasure, and harm the body.† Also, â€Å"Stress is the number one reason that college students seek help at college counseling.† (Rathus & Nevid, Psychology, 142) As you can see, stress is a major problem for college students and has many negative effects. One of the worst effects of stress is its effect on one’s health. Stress can literally make you sick, lowering your immune system and opening you up to a Pandora’s Box of problems. At first, it might just be small things like a headache or a cold and then progress to more major problems like respiratory or circulatory problems. The key is to take time out for yourself, and most importantly, get enough sleep. Unfortunately, that rarely happens with so many things to do and so little time. Another major negative effect is lack of sleep. With all these responsibilities placed on these students, it just seems like there aren’t enough hours in a day. Many...

The Best of Tsunami-Resistant Building

The Best of Tsunami-Resistant Building Architects and engineers can design buildings that will stand tall during even the most violent earthquakes. However, a tsunami (pronounced soo-NAH-mee), which is caused by an earthquake, has the power to wash away entire villages. Tragically, no building is tsunami-proof, but some buildings can be designed to resist forceful waves. The challenge of the architect is to design for the event AND design for beauty - the same challenge faced in safe room design. Understanding Tsunamis Tsunamis are usually generated by powerful earthquakes underneath large bodies of water. The seismic event creates a wave that is more complex than when the wind simply blows the waters surface. The wave can travel hundreds of miles an hour until it reaches shallow water and a shoreline. The Japanese word for harbor is tsu and nami means wave. Because Japan is heavily populated, surrounded by water, and in an area of great seismic activity, tsunamis are often associated with this Asian country. They occur, however, all over the world. Historically tsunamis in the United States are most prevalent on the West coast, including California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and, of course, Hawaii. A tsunami wave will behave differently depending on the underwater terrain surrounding the shoreline (i.e., how deep or shallow the water is from the shoreline). Sometimes the wave will be like a tidal bore or surge, and some tsunamis dont crash onto the shoreline at all like a more familiar, wind-driven wave. Instead, the water level may rise very, very quickly in what is called a wave runup, as if the tide has come in all at once - like a 100 foot high tide surge. Tsunami flooding may travel inland more than 1000 feet, and the rundown creates continued damage as the water quickly retreats back out to sea.   What Causes the Damage? Structures tend to be destroyed by tsunamis because of five general causes. First is the force of the water and high-velocity water flow. Stationary objects (like houses) in the path of the wave will resist the force, and, depending how the structure is constructed, the water will go through or around it. Second, the tidal wave will be dirty, and the impact of debris carried by the forceful water may be what destroys a wall, roof, or piling. Third, this floating debris can be on fire, which is then spread among combustible materials. Fourth, the tsunami rushing onto land and then retreating back to the sea creates unexpected erosion and scour of foundations. Whereas erosion is the general wearing away of the ground surface, scour is more localized  - the type of wearing away you see around piers and piles as water flows around stationary objects. Both erosion and scour compromise a structures foundation. The fifth cause of damage is from the waves wind forces. Guidelines for Design In general, flood loads can be calculated like for any other building, but the scale of a tsunamis intensity make building more complicated. Tsunami flood velocities are said to be highly complex and site-specific. Because of the unique nature of building a tsunami-resistant structure, FEMA has a special publication called Guidelines for Design of Structures for Vertical Evacuation from Tsunamis. Early warning systems and horizontal evacuation have been the main strategy for many years. The current thinking, however, is to design buildings with vertical evacuation areas: ...a building or earthen mound that has sufficient height to elevate evacuees above the level of tsunami inundation, and is designed and constructed with the strength and resiliency needed to resist the effects of tsunami waves.... Individual homeowners as well as communities may take this approach. Vertical evacuation areas can be part of the design of a multi-story building, or it can be a more modest, stand-alone structure for a single purpose. Existing structures such as well-constructed parking garages could be designated vertical evacuation areas. 8 Strategies for Tsunami-Resistant Construction Shrewd engineering combined with a swift, efficient warning system can save thousands of lives. Engineers and other experts suggest these strategies for tsunami-resistant construction: Build structures with reinforced concrete instead of wood, even though wood construction is more resilient to earthquakes. Reinforced concrete or steel-frame structures are recommended for vertical evacuation structures.Mitigate resistance. Design structures to let the water flow through. Build multi-story structures, with the first floor being open (or on stilts) or breakaway so the major force of water can move through. Rising water will do less damage if it can flow underneath the structure. Architect Daniel A. Nelson and Designs Northwest Architects often use this approach in the residences they build on the Washington Coast. Again, this design is contrary to seismic practices, which makes this recommendation complicated and site specific.Construct deep foundations, braced at the footings. A tsunamis force can turn an otherwise solid, concrete building completely on its side.Design with redundancy, so that the structure can experience partial failure (e.g., a destroyed post) with out progressive collapse. As much as possible, leave vegetation and reefs intact. They wont stop tsunami waves, but they can slow them down.Orient the building at an angle to the shoreline. Walls that directly face the ocean will suffer more damage.Use continuous steel framing strong enough to resist hurricane-force winds.Design structural connectors that can absorb stress. Whats the Cost? FEMA estimates that a tsunami-resistant structure, including seismic-resistant and progressive collapse-resistant design features, would experience about a 10 to 20% order-of-magnitude increase in total construction costs over that required for normal-use buildings. This article briefly describes design tactics used for buildings in tsunami-prone coastlines. For details about these and other construction techniques, explore the primary sources. Sources United States Tsunami Warning System, NOAA / National weather Service, tsunami.gov/Erosion, Scour, and Foundation Design, FEMA, January 2009, PDF at https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1644-20490-8177/757_apd_5_erosionscour.pdfCoastal Construction Manual, Volume II FEMA, 4th edition, August  2011, pp. 8-15, 8-47, PDF at https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1510-20490-1986/fema55_volii_combined_rev.pdfGuidelines for Design of Structures for Vertical Evacuation from Tsunami, 2nd edition, FEMA P646, April 1, 2012, pp. 1, 16, 35, 55, 111, PDF at https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1426211456953-f02dffee4679d659f62f414639afa806/FEMAP-646_508.pdf  Tsunami-Proof Building by Danbee Kim, http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2009/teams/2/danbee.htm, 2009 [accessed August 13, 2016]The Tech To Make Buildings Earthquake - and Tsunami - Resistant by Andrew Moseman, Popular Mechanics, March 11, 2011How to Make Buildings Safer in Tsunamis by Rollo Reid, Reid Steel

Gap Inc. SWOT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gap Inc. SWOT - Essay Example This essay stresses that poor management made the Gap’s core stores its worst competition. Under CEO Paul Pressler, the same products were carried in the Gap, Old Navy and the Banana Republic at different price points. Frustrated consumers stopped going. The Gap failed to keep its brands diversified. Originally Old Navy was the Gap’s bargain basement store. Consumers could go there and find cost effective clothing. Thanks to Pressler, consumers went their to get discount prices on Gap products. This paper makes a conclusion that the Gap’s management continued to create more problems for the company. The Gap started cloning itself by creating the GapMaternity, GapKids, BabyGap and others. This expansion hurt both the individual stores and the entire chain. Each new store requires employees, utilities and rent. The deluge of stores with specialized Gap products cut into the corporation’s profitability. Gap Inc is an international company. Having stores in several countries protects it from local economic downturns, recessions or depressions. The Gap’s competitors provide better customer service and adapts better to the fickle fashion climate. All of these companies are significantly smaller than the Gap and are able to implement changes quicker. The Gap is also vulnerable to US government regulation. China apparel and textile restrictions are in effect until December 31, 2008. A change or increase in these restrictions could raise production costs.