The Scarlet Letter - Thesis Essay Example for Free

The Scarlet Letter Thesis Essay One main theme present in the work The Scarlet Lette is that of sin and guilt. Nathaniel Hawthorne attempts to show how guilt can be a form of everlasting punishment. The book represents sin and guilt through symbolism and character development. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne explains how the punishment of guilt causes the most suffering among those affected. As with any piece, symbolism plays an important role in representing the main ideas of a novel. The plot in The Scarlet Letter revolves around three significant events that describe the development of the story. As both starting point and ending point of the novel, the scaffold scenes hold symbolic meaning. The first scaffold scene introduces the reader to the story, plot, and characters. The reader meets Hester Prynn and soon discovers the means of her sin. Hesters thoughts as she stands before the public are described at the end of the second chapter. Could it be true? She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast, that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real. Yes! -these were her realities, -all else had vanished! (Hawthorne, 55). At this point, Hester is still quite ashamed of her sin of adultery, and may not want to acknowledge the reality of it. As Hester is accused of her crime, the first scaffold scene represents committing and being accused of a sin. By the time the second scaffold scene approaches, seven years later, the reader should know that Hesters partner in crime is the minister Arthur Dimmesdale. Thus far in the novel, Dimmesdale has kept his sin a secret from society. During the second scaffold scene, Reverend Dimmesdale ventured out in the night to the scaffold in seek of forgiveness from God. He hoped to reveal himself to the public, however No eye could see him, save that ever-wakeful one which had seen him in his closet, wielding the bloody scourge. Why, then, had he come hither? (129) Resulting with the burden of guilt still upon his soul, his sin is not revealed which is why the second scaffold scene represents concealment of sin. Just as the book opened at the scaffold, it closes there as well. The third and final scaffold scene involves the primary characters from both the first and second scaffold scenes. All three of these characters, Hester, her child Pearl, and Dimmesdale stand together at the scaffold. This is the point in the novel where the minister finally wishes to reveal his sin. Concealing his sin for so long had caused him to deteriorate both mentally and physically, so just as Dimmesdale confessed, his life was taken from him. The third scaffold scene represents revealing and repenting sin. Some say that Nathaniel Hawthorne named the characters of his novel with symbolic meaning behind them. Each of the four main characters names can be tied in one way or another to sin and guilt. First, there is the character Hester Prynn. Her last name, Prynn, rhymes with the word sin, which is used to represent her role in the novel. Next, there is Dimmesdale. Simply the mere sound of the name in itself gives the impression of someone dim, dark, or weak; perhaps this way from suffering guilt. Then there is Chillingworth. Again, the sound of the name gives the reader a sense that the character has a cold heart; which is sinful alone. And lastly, little Pearl. Rather than representing the evils of sin, her name means salvation, and can be represented as the salvation of sin. The characters alone play a symbolic role in expressing the main theme. (Online-Literature.com, Symbolism) Nathaniel Hawthorne attempts to show how guilt can be a form of everlasting punishment by showing how each character endures much suffering from it. Hester Prynne, the main character in the novel, suffers a variety of types of punishment for the crime of adultery she committed. She faces such punishment as public humiliation from wearing the symbol A as to represent her crime, dealing with the physical outcome of her crime, and most painful, having to live with what she had done. As the book opens, Hester is brought forth from the jail and walked to the scaffold. For the first time being seen in public named an adulterer, Hester shies from the public as they mock her. However, She never battled with the public, but submitted  uncomplainingly to its worst usage; she made no claim upon it, in requital for what she suffered; she did not weight upon its sympathies. (Hawthorne 140). Soon, it did not matter what other people thought of Hester because of her sin. She chose not to live with the humiliation, but she did have to live with herself. Having to deal with her daughter Pearl day in and day out is a punishment in itself as well. Most people, including Hester, view Peal as a demon child. However, Hester hesitates to punish Pearl for being so. She feels guilty as it is, placing a burden on Pearls life, for Peal is branded as the child of an adulterer, all of this resulting from Hesters passionate sin. (Guilt as Reparation for Sin, paragraph 14). The minister Dimmesdale is greatly affected by the weight of guilt he carries with him everyday of his proceeding life. Since his sin is unknown to society, there is not a public crowd to look down upon him, but one Roger Chillingworth who lives just to torture Dimmesdale. He wishes and prays most often that the public know of his wrong, rather than hold it secret, as it would be less painful. Happy are you, Hester, that wear that scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!! (Hawthorne 182). Fear, is in fact, the only reason Dimmesdale fails to confess himself. He feels guilty for not being able to be a father figure to Pearl, for letting Hester suffer on her own, and, of course, just for his own sinful actions. In the end, it is the guilt that kills him, not any public humiliation. One may look at Roger Chillingworth, Hesters husband, and see no guilt within him. Truthfully, Chillingworth is a cold-hearted soul. He does, however, have some guilt. Chillingworth, indeed, feels a bit guilty for marrying Hester in the first place. He and Hester both knew they did not love each other, but decided to marry anyway. Chillingworth might have known something like what Hester did would have happened eventually. After all, Chillingworth was much too old and unattractive for a young woman like Hester to feel anything worth making the relationship work. Even though it was out of his hands, Chillingworth also feels a bit bad about leaving Hester as he did for so long. He may feel that he could have been a catalyst  in what happened, however, Chillingworth was not about to let others who contributed to it run away freely. This explains his excuse for becoming a fiend. He may feel guilty for becoming so evil, however, he blames it on Hester and Dimmesdales actions, and does not feel he should change his ways. I have already told thee what I am! A fiend! Who made me so?' (Hawthorne 151) He felt less guilt than the other characters, however, he was the one who caused the most misery. Although Pearl, Hesters daughter, does not directly suffer such guilt because she is the only innocent character in the novel, she does suffer from her mothers guilt and sinful actions. Because Pearl is dubbed an evil being as an illegitimate child, she suffers much public ridicule and humiliation. She also receives the blame for Hesters past seven years of suffering guilt. During the scene in A Flood of Sunshine, when Hester throws the A into the river, she also symbolically throws away Pearl, thus rejecting and blaming her own child. Each of the four main characters, in their own forms, has and must suffer from a form of guilt. Since Hester and Dimmesdale are the only characters that committed the sin the book revolves around, they are the ones who suffer most of the guilt. Guilt is a painful reminder of sin. The other punishments both characters had to face were painful, but in the end, all they did was make them feel further guilt and suffer further pain. The only thing other punishments bring out is the inner guilt of a person, if they are worthy enough to realize their wrong. Only the man who has enough good in him to feel the justice of the penalty can be punished; the other can only be hurt.' (Punishment Quote, paragraph 1). There are two characters in the novel who are worthy enough to be punished: Hester and Dimmesdale. On the other side of the spectrum, there is Chillingworth. He does not see the wrong in his sin of torturing Dimmesdale. Hester Prynne immediately feels guilty for what she had done. If anything, shed wish to take it back, as if it had never happened. Such the same with Arthur Dimmesdale. He was not only suffering from guilt of his sin, but also  was becoming a very hypocritical reverend, the last thing he may have wanted. It is quite evident that the guilt eventually drove him mad to the point of self-mutilation, because as the reader knows, in the end of the novel, Dimmesdale dies from his guilt. If you are not worthy, you cannot feel sorry for what you have done, as the case with Roger Chillingwroth. He felt it was he duty to torture the reverend Dimmesdale. He was, nonetheless, hurt by it. He had dedicated the remainder of his life to making Dimmesdale suffer, so when Dimmesdale died, so did Chillingworth shortly following. Sin is represented in many ways throughout the novel. Because of the sins the characters have committed, they had to be punished for their actions. Letting them suffer with their own guilt is the best way of going about the matter. With this, the character is forced to live with what they did. Because both Hester and Dimmesdale saw their wrongs, guilt, for them, was effective. It just goes to show the pain the characters suffer. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne explains how the punishment of guilt causes the most suffering among those affected. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Guilt as Reparation for Sin in The Scarlet Letter. [http://www.123student.com/english/1443.shtml]. Feb. 2004. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Penguin Books, 1962. Punishment Quote. [http://www.123student.com/english/1910.shtml]. Feb. 2004. Stephanie. Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter. [http://www.online-literature.com/hawthorne/scarletletter]. Feb. 2004.

A Brief History of Heineken Company Analysis

A Brief History of Heineken Company Analysis Heineken is one of the global leading brewers. The company is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and spreads its business all over the world. In this report, we have taken a deep look into the Heineken Company. We will generally display the company portfolio, and then followed by the companys past 5 years performance. Afterwards, the report will focus on Heinekens international marketing activities with detailed explanations of its international marketing strategies. Ultimately, the report will extend to discuss miscellaneous topics of Heineken Company, and ends up with an exhaustive conclusion. Introduction Heineken is one of the worlds biggest brewers and is committed to remaining strong and independent. The brand is named after the founders name Heineken -can be found all around the world. Heineken has become one of the most valuable international premium beer brand since last century and it is still growing stronger. Heineken is also one of the experts of beer brewing and has built quite a number of specialty beers around the globe. In addition to the Heineken brand, there are more than 170 specialty beers which meet a variety of consumers needs from every corner of the world. The famous brands include Amstel ®, Europes third-largest selling beer, Cruzcampo ®, Tiger ®, Zywiec ®, Birra Moretti ®, Ochota ®, Murphys ® and Star ®. Heineken has wide international presence through a global network of distributors and breweries. Heineken owns and manages one of the worlds leading portfolios of beer brands and is one of the worlds leading brewers in terms of sales volume and profitability. History The Heineken story began more than 140 years ago in 1864 when Gerard Adriaan Heineken acquired a small brewery in the heart of Amsterdam. Since then, four generations of the Heineken family have expanded the Heineken brand and the Company throughout Europe and the rest of the world. Employees In 2007, the average number of employees employed was 54,004 170 brands Heinekens leading brand portfolio includes more than 170 international premium, regional, local and specialty beers. Our principal brands are Heineken ® and Amstel ®. We continually seek to reinforce our brands through innovations in production, marketing and packaging. 139.2 million hl The Heineken brand is available in almost every country on the planet. We own more than 119 breweries in more than 65 countries brewing a Group beer volume of 139.2 million hectolitres. Segments Heineken applies typical Global Area Structure to their organizational strategy. Global area structure is an organizational arrangement in which primary operational responsibility is delegated to area managers, each of whom is responsible for a specific geographic region. (International Business, 5th edition, Rugman Collinson). Heineken distinguishes the following geographical segments: Western Europe Central and Eastern Europe The Americas Africa and the Middle East Asia Pacific Head Office/eliminations. Segment information is presented only in respect of geographical segments consistent with Heinekens management and internal reporting structure. Heineken runs its business in five regions, which is in charge of regional presidents. Regional subsidiaries, which remain high responsiveness to the group departments,are responsible for management, risk assessment and operation efficiency. The distribution models of Heinekens is of a big variety. Goods are delivered in multiple ways in every country, depending on the countries conditions, usually direct to the wholesalers or via third parties. Hence, distributions diverse. The various distribution models are taken in charge by regional subsidiaries as well. In such a circumstance, no secondary segment information is in hand. Targeting Young adult consumers (core aged 18-25) around the world is the group Heineken targets at. Heineken is aware of the rise of popularity of mixers and other drinks in this market. Positioning The premium positioning of the Heineken brand is crucial to the growth strategy. Maintaining this positioning requires a combination of the highest quality brewing process delivering the highest quality beer and creative and compelling marketing. As the brand extends its global market share, and its positioning becomes more consistent, its marketing is becoming increasingly international. However, within the marketing mix, there will always be a requirement for locally driven campaigns and support. Product strategy Theory Product strategies vary depending on the specific good and the customers. Some products ca be manufactured and sold successfully both in the United States and abroad by using the same strategies. Other products must be modified or adapted and sold according to a specially designed strategy. A number of factors can compel an MNE to use moderate to high product modification. These include economics, culture, local laws, and product life cycle. Application A key strength for Heineken is the fact that the product is produced to be exactly the same, no matter which of 115 or more breweries it was produced at. The recipe has stayed the same for nearly 150 years, and Heinekens attractive packaging and red star are recognizable nearly anywhere in the world. Heinekens entire brand image is centred on it being a superior quality beer with exceptional taste. Heineken has also won many awards for its beer, which reinforces their claim that Heineken is a product of the highest quality. One potential weakness is that Heineken lacks a production base in many markets, which inevitably leads to higher costs associated with getting the product to market in these areas. However, the flip side to that is the consumers perception of premiumness that is often associated with an imported beer versus one that is produced domestically. Another important strength for Heineken lies in their innovation, as is evident by their recently released Heineken Draught Keg. Since the Heineken beer is recognized all over the world, and the product life cycle is quite short, there is no need to do large modification to the beer itself. Meanwhile, its package changes several times within a year, which makes it fresh to consumers and also a efficient way to promote their products. Company performance This report also analyzes the Heineken Company performance in a horizontal scope as well as a vertical scope. We will first measures its regional performance, and followed by a last 5 year performance evaluation. As we know, Heineken Company is a Multinational Enterprise. It has been doing business in different regions worldwide. Take appropriate measures when dealing business with typical customers is quite important. The financial statement of year 2009 will be released on March 20, 2010. So the analysis is mainly based on the data from 2004 to 2008. Key figures Revenue: In general, the Heineken Company enjoyed increasing revenues in last 5 years, from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 10062 million (2004) to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬14319 million (2008). EBIT: Earnings before interests and taxes (EBIT) is used as a primary measure of profitability, without taking interests and taxes expenses into consideration. The higher EBIT, usually, the better. The EBIT was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1348 in 2004, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1249 in 2005, reached its peak at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1832 in2006, and then decreased to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1418 in 2007, even declined further to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1080 in 2008, measured in millions. Net profit: Net profit calculated by profit before taxes minus taxes. The net profit has almost the same trend as EBIT: rose from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬642 million (2004) to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 1211 million (2006), then it suffered a downwards shrink to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬807 million (2007) and à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬209 million (2008). Dividends: Dividends is a portion of money a company paid to its shareholders. It can be used to measure a companys financial health. The dividends of Heineken kept growing from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬173 million in 2004 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬343 million in 2007. In 2008, it fell by a small amount to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬304 million. Net cash flow: Net cash flow is a part of cash flow statement, represented the cash receipts minus cash payments. Net cash flow was -à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬550 million in 2004, leaped to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬401 million in 2006, and dropped to -à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬227 million in 2007, finally climbed up to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬225 million. Regional analysis Western Europe Have an eye on Western Europe, Heineken is doing excellent: Heineken is Western Europes leading brewer and the region is the biggest contributor to Group profitability, thanks to the strong market positions and excellent brand portfolio. Heineken is Europes number one beer. Heineken has market leadership positions in the Netherlands, UK, Spain and Italy; and it is the number two player in France, Ireland and Switzerland. In the Western Europe, in the year 2004 to 2007, the revenues were around à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5,400 million. However in 2008, it jumped to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7661 million. Heineken even generated à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬8,432 million revenue, with earnings before interests and taxes (EBIT) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬792 million in 2009. The total assets were à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3924 million in 2004, but almost tripled to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬11678 million in 2008. And the group beer volume has doubled in past 5 years, reaching 56,345,000 hl (2008). It takes up 38% of the Groups consolidated EBIT. Western Europe is Heinekens main market. Central and Eastern Europe Central and Eastern Europe is Heinekens largest region by volume. The business is benefiting from integration of acquired breweries and the outcome of portfolio optimization. The Heineken brand is increasing its popularity. The beer market there is largely influenced by financial crisis last year. The high price of our products can also be an influential fact. Within this region, the company earned increasing revenues between à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2,526 million and à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3,687 million in last 5 years, and EBIT from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬254 million in 2004 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬389 million in 2009. The total assets have a 20% growth within 5 years. Group beer volume generated a 50% increase. Africa and the Middle East The improved political stability continues to drive economic development and improve purchasing power, making beer more affordable. The popularity of the brands and of Heineken beer in particular, is rapidly growing. Heineken is the number two brewer in Africa and the Middle East. The revenue in this region in 2009 was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1,817 million, and EBIT was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬485 million. In the past 5 years, the revenue doubled and the EBIT tripled, total assets also grew from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬825 million to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1919 million. And the market volume is still rapidly growing. Heineken Company has a long-term orientation in this market. The Americas The economic downturn led to lower on-trade consumption and downtrading in the off-trade, especially in the USA. In the fourth quarter volume of the Heineken brand showed a positive trend in Canada, the Caribbean and South America. In 2009, the revenue was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1566 million while the EBIT was only à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬210 million. The revenue welcomes a peak at 2006, and has a moderate float in the rest of 5 years. EBIT tells almost the same story. Total assets have a 50% growth over 5 years. And the group beer volume up soared by approximately 5,000,000 hl. Asia Pacific The revenue in 2009 was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬309 million, and EBIT was à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬103 million, the company also has a long-term orientation in this region. The revenue has a continuous decline, from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬471 million to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬297 million, with slight floating. EBIT began at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬63 million, ended at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬65 million, and topped at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬95 million 2006. Total assets experienced an upward trend from 363 to 552, measured in millions of euros. Management Heineken Holding N.V. controls the Heineken Company. The Heineken N.V. Executive Board has two members, CEO and CFO. And it is chaired by the CFO Jean-Franà §ois van Boxmeer. The CEO is responsible for Group Commerce, Group Supply Chain, Group Human Resources, Group Corporate Relations, Group Legal Affairs, and Manager Group Internal Audit. The CFO is in charge of Group Control Accounting, Group Finance, Group Business Development, Group Process Technology Directors, Group Strategy Director, and Group Strategic Partnerships. There are five operating regions, namely, Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, The Americas, Africa and the Middle East as well as Asia-Pacific. Each region has a Regional President. The Executive Committee is consist of two members of the Executive Board, the five Regional President,s and five Group Directors. The Executive Committee supports the development of policy and ensures the alignment and implementation of key priorities and strategies across the organization. Segmentation: Heineken sells its beer all around the world and has a global market share of 7%. The prime market of Heineken is Europe, in 2008 almost 50% of Heineken its sales were in Europe. Asia-pacific and the Americas cover the other 50%. The Americas count for nearly 30% of Heinekens sales, and the Asia-pacific for 20%. Heineken has divided all the types of beer it sales into groups. Standard lager, premium lager are the hold most products sold all over the world for Heineken. Together they count for almost 85% of all sales of Heineken. With standard beer counting for 55% of the total sales. Furthermore Heineken has got the groups specialty beer, ales shouts and bitters, and low or no alcohol. The group specialty beer count for 10% of the sales, so ales shouts and bitters, and low or no alcohol are of hardly any part of the sales of Heineken. Targeting: Because Heineken is a beer brand it can only sell to people who are older that a certain age. That age is set by the governments. The general age set by the governments for people to buy beer and other alcoholic drinks is set at 16 years in and older to 21 years and older. So the target market of Heineken is everyone older than the age set by the government. In what way does Heineken target the separate markets within those markets? To target the young adults (age 18-30) Heineken uses music. Heineken organizes for example a deejay-contest a lot of young adults are willing to go to that party. Heineken makes sure that their name is all over the place and that the party is a huge success Only Heineken beer is sold on that party, their name Heineken is everywhere you look. In this way Heineken makes sure that their name is widely known. Their name is also associated with successful parties so every time those young adults go to a party they will compare it to the Heineken party. That is the way of getting a good reputation among young adults. Because of this reputation Heineken will sell more beer to those young adults, which is their goal. Beer is very often associated with football. Heineken is a sponsor of the UEFA Champions League. At the beginning and during a football match their name is on billboards on the sides of the field. Their name is also mentioned before the match begins, for example: this match is sponsored by Heineken. In this way Heineken associates itself with football. Their target market with this type of advertising are the man who like watching football and who are allowed to drink, which is a big group. They are indirectly targeting the young people who are not yet aloud to drink, because they are watching to that match to they associate watching football with Heineken, so when they are allowed to drink they will probably buy Heineken to drink during the match. To target the women Heineken introduced Jillz and beer that is less bitter. Jillz is a apple cider mixed with water and barley malt and fruit. It is developed especially for women, because most women dont like beer. When you look at the commercial of Jillz you see four good looking men picking apples. Because women like watching to those men they will buy Jillz assuming that by drinking Jillz they will encounter such a good looking guy. Another way of targeting the women is by introducing a beer that is less bitter. Heineken introduces products like Wieckse Witte a white beer, which is less bitter than normal beer and has got a reddish color. Heineken introduced this type of beer because they assumed that women dont like beer because of its bitterness. Positioning, Market entry and distribution strategies: Waar verkopen ze en hoe krijgen ze de producten daar en hoe zijn ze in die markten binnen gekomen? Heineken sell its products almost everywhere in the world. Because beer hasnt got a high value per liter. Distributing the beer by for example a tanker is too expensive, so Heineken has to have a lot of breweries to supply in the countries they sell their beer in. because of this Heineken has got approximately 120 breweries in more than 70 countries. Heineken mainly sell its products through supermarkets/hypermarkets, specialist retailers and on-trade business. 7% of its products is sold on a different way. Drawing a conclusion this mean that Heineken is depending on other retailers to sell its products. Heineken doesnt have got a shop that sell only Heineken products. The only way in which Heineken is selling its own products is though internet. People can order Heineken beer on the official Heineken site, for example on www.Heineken.nl. Product strategies: There are a lot of different types of beer; there are bitter beers, sweet beers, sour beers, beers with a different amount of alcohol in it and different colors. This are some things that Heineken can differ its beer in. This shows that there are a lot of types of beer, but beer doesnt need a lot of modification. Heineken has got many different types of beer, even in one country. Heineken has got a total of 200 different products. There are different reasons for those modifications. According to International Business a book from Alan M. Rugman and Simon Collinson, there are four points on which a product has to be modified: Economics, culture, local laws and product life cycle. Economics: In each country the customers have got different needs. People want different amount of beer in a bottle, or they want more alcohol in their beer. Because of all these different needs Heineken has got to make a lot of different products, products that differ in size, alcohol percentage and shape. In the Netherlands for example, Heineken sell their beer primarily through the super markets and in bars. So Heineken sells often sells its products in bottles in crates, and in casks. The amount of beer in the bottles is approximately 33 cl. Culture: The history of beer a country and the time beer is present in a country causes many different tastes for and in those countries. In Germany for example people like to drink light beer(white beer). So when Heineken wants to sell beer in Germany it should not come up with dark beer with a high percentage of alcohol. So the culture of countries causes a lot of different demands for beer. Local laws: The laws of a country are very important for the beer products. When Heineken is not allowed to sell beer with a high percentage of alcohol in it, or when they are forbidden to use a certain ingredient, Heineken has got to come up with different products. Product life cycle: This concept states that a product has got to develop in order to maintain its sales. So Heineken needs to modify the beer products in order to keep ahead of the competition. Another reason to modify is to try and come up with other types of product before the demand of other products has declined to much, and to try and get to new markets. An example for this is Jillz, Heineken wants to sell its product to women, it keeps ahead of the competition, because the competition didnt came up with the same idea, and it invents a new product before another product, Wieckse Witte, shows a decline in sales. Pricing strategies: According to International Business a book from Alan M. Rugman and Simon Collinson, there are four forces that influence the pricing. Government controls, Market diversity, Currency fluctuation and Price escalation forces. Government controls: The government in the Netherland raises an excise on products that contain alcohol. Because beer contains alcohol, the prices of Heineken beer are higher than they would have had without that tax. The excise on crates is the same for every company, so Heineken can compete to other beers. Because Heineken is a premium beer, the price for a crate of Heineken is a lot higher than other types of beer. Therefore Heineken competes with other premium beer brand. Market Diversity: The marker diversity between countries causes different prices between those countries. A premium beer a Heineken can encounter a low demand for its beer. Heineken is than forced to sell its products for a low price to gain market share or just to sell beer. Heineken doesnt really have this problem, because they have over 200 different types of beer, so there is a high probability that Heineken does have the taste the people in that country like. Currency fluctuations: The currency fluctuations between countries cause higher or lower prices for Heineken beer that is exported. When the value of a currency in a country, where Heineken has got a brewery, declines compared to an country where the beer brewed is exported to, the prices of Heineken beer will increase compared to local beer brands. Price escalation forces: When the prices of producing Heineken increase by 25 cents, Heineken will try to pass this along to retailers in the production cycle closer to the consumers. Every retailer in the production cycle wants to make profit, so they will add an percentage increase. This increase in price will be larger the closer the product gets to the consumer. The increase of 25 cents may increase the prices in the supermarket with 35 cents.

The Abnormal Aspect of Othello :: Othello essays

The Abnormal Aspect of Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚   Let us in this essay discuss the abnormal outlook on life found in Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello. Is a distorted view on life expressed only by the villain?    Iago is generally recognized as the one character possessing and operating by abnormal psychology. But Lily B. Campbell in Shakespeare’s Tragic Heroes tells of the time when the hero himself approached â€Å"madness†:    Othello himself cries:    thou hast set me on the rack. I swear ‘t is better to be much abus’d Than but to know a little.    And then we find him torturing himself with the thoughts of Cassio’s kisses on Desdemona’s lips, and he reiterates the property idea in his talk of being robbed. From this time on, Othello has become the slave of passion. As he cries farewell to the tranquil mind, to content, to war and his occupation, as he demands that Iago prove his love a whore, as he threatens Iago and begs for proof at the same time, he is finally led almost to the verge of madness [. . .] . (165)    Fortunately the protagonist regains his equilibrium, and when he does kill, it is for the noble reason of cleansing the world of a â€Å"strumpet.† On the other hand, the baseness of the villain Iago never alters. David Bevington in William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies describes the irrationality and self-destructiveness of the ancient’s behavior:    Emilia understands that jealousy is not a rational affliction but a self-induced disease of the mind. Jealous persons, she tells Desdemona, â€Å"are not ever jealous for the cause, / But jealous for they’re jealous. It is a monster / Begot upon itself, born on itself† (3.4.161 – 163). Iago’s own testimonial bears this out, for his jealousy is at once wholly irrational and agonizingly self-destructive. â€Å"I do suspect the lusty Moor / Hath leaped into my seat, the thought thereof / Doth , like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my innards† (2.1.296 – 298). (223)    Blanche Coles in Shakespeare’s Four Giants affirms the Bard’s commitment to abnormal psychology, and his employment of same in this play:    That Shakespeare was keenly interested in the study of the abnormal mind is commonly accepted among students. [. . .] The suggestion that Iago may have been intentionally drawn as a psychopathic personality is not new. [. . .] Even a casual scrutiny of a book on case histories of psychopathic patients will find Iago peeping out from many of its pages.

White collar crime :: essays research papers

Welcome to the age of white collar crime. A time when the words thieves and businessmen go hand in hand. White collar criminals don’t get their hands dirty in their work. They use their heads to get what they want instead of using a little muscle. These criminals are just as dangerous as the rapists and murderers. In these times, even the most seemingly respectable people are suspected of white collar crimes. President Clinton and the first lady Hillary Clinton have been tangled up in the Whitewater and Travelgate business ventures. Although the two have not been formally charged with any wrongdoing, there is a committee currently investigating their dealings and charges are not out of the question for either of them. In Michael Isikoff’s and Mark Hosenball’s Newsweek article â€Å"Cracks in the Wall,† they describe the Clintons’ dealings with Whitewater and the possible consequences of them: â€Å"The Senate Whitewater committee is considering asking for perjury charges against Susan Thomas and Maggie Williams, Mrs. Clintons’ chief of staff, in connection with her testimony about the removal of documents from Vince Foster’s office† (Isikoff 29). This case goes to show that there presently a growing problem with our country, and it is called white collar crime. White collar crimes are very numerous in kind. New ones are always being invented by someone with a good scam. Embezzlement, tax evasion, and fraud are some of the more popular kinds. A person who has the power of controlling money in a business is most likely commit embezzlement. A shortened definition of embezzlement is â€Å"to steal money that is entrusted to Phillips 2 one.† This is one of the fastest rising crimes in the nation. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, embezzlement rose thirty eight percent from 1984 to 1993 (U.S. Dept. of Justice 239). Forgery is another growing form of white collar crime. This is defined as the act of imitating or counterfeiting documents or signatures for the purpose of deceiving someone. Forgery also shows the same growth trends as embezzlement. From 1984 to 1993 forgery and counterfeiting increased twenty-one percent (U.S. Dept. of Justice 240). Bogus ads, job scams, and telephone scams are all examples of fraud. Basically these scams ask you to send money for something that is non-existent. An example of a telephone scam would be if someone called to ask for donations for a phony organization or charity. White collar crime :: essays research papers Welcome to the age of white collar crime. A time when the words thieves and businessmen go hand in hand. White collar criminals don’t get their hands dirty in their work. They use their heads to get what they want instead of using a little muscle. These criminals are just as dangerous as the rapists and murderers. In these times, even the most seemingly respectable people are suspected of white collar crimes. President Clinton and the first lady Hillary Clinton have been tangled up in the Whitewater and Travelgate business ventures. Although the two have not been formally charged with any wrongdoing, there is a committee currently investigating their dealings and charges are not out of the question for either of them. In Michael Isikoff’s and Mark Hosenball’s Newsweek article â€Å"Cracks in the Wall,† they describe the Clintons’ dealings with Whitewater and the possible consequences of them: â€Å"The Senate Whitewater committee is considering asking for perjury charges against Susan Thomas and Maggie Williams, Mrs. Clintons’ chief of staff, in connection with her testimony about the removal of documents from Vince Foster’s office† (Isikoff 29). This case goes to show that there presently a growing problem with our country, and it is called white collar crime. White collar crimes are very numerous in kind. New ones are always being invented by someone with a good scam. Embezzlement, tax evasion, and fraud are some of the more popular kinds. A person who has the power of controlling money in a business is most likely commit embezzlement. A shortened definition of embezzlement is â€Å"to steal money that is entrusted to Phillips 2 one.† This is one of the fastest rising crimes in the nation. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, embezzlement rose thirty eight percent from 1984 to 1993 (U.S. Dept. of Justice 239). Forgery is another growing form of white collar crime. This is defined as the act of imitating or counterfeiting documents or signatures for the purpose of deceiving someone. Forgery also shows the same growth trends as embezzlement. From 1984 to 1993 forgery and counterfeiting increased twenty-one percent (U.S. Dept. of Justice 240). Bogus ads, job scams, and telephone scams are all examples of fraud. Basically these scams ask you to send money for something that is non-existent. An example of a telephone scam would be if someone called to ask for donations for a phony organization or charity.

Dehydration Effect On Human Tissue :: essays research papers

The human body consists of massive amounts of different tissues and oranges, all doing different things. It’s inevitable that these tissues need a large amount of energy to maintain health and to stay productive. When the body encounters a famine, it reacts to the lack of food by many different starvation endorse tactics. When the body enters into a lack of water, there is very little it can do but stop the production of urine and sweat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The human body consists a mass of eighty percent water plus or minus five percent. Water is in many forms of nature. There are three forms of water as the forms of water, ice and heated vapor in the air. Water also known as H2 O acts as a major component in plasma, liver function, and the aid of the lymphatic system of the human body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the body does not eat, many things go into affect to help you stay alive during a famine. They are: your hormones; blood sugar decreases to make you tired while conserving energy and your metabolism process decreases to make your retain fat from the food you do eat. It will take about three weeks to die from starvation when not consuming food. The average person should consume around 1800 calories a day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the human body goes with out water the whole system will start to shutdown. Without water the liver will stop filtering blood and cause kidney’s to fail. Also cell activities will stop because the water acts as a transition stage for nutrients going in and out of the cell. After the water is gone, cells can not survive for more then three days.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cell during a lack of water goes in to a state of â€Å"suspended animation† which is when all cell processes slow down. The mitochondria slow down and reduce the production of energy forming materials. In plant cells the chloroplast stops responding to light and the energy of the cell then slows down and goes dominant. Dehydration Effect On Human Tissue :: essays research papers The human body consists of massive amounts of different tissues and oranges, all doing different things. It’s inevitable that these tissues need a large amount of energy to maintain health and to stay productive. When the body encounters a famine, it reacts to the lack of food by many different starvation endorse tactics. When the body enters into a lack of water, there is very little it can do but stop the production of urine and sweat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The human body consists a mass of eighty percent water plus or minus five percent. Water is in many forms of nature. There are three forms of water as the forms of water, ice and heated vapor in the air. Water also known as H2 O acts as a major component in plasma, liver function, and the aid of the lymphatic system of the human body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the body does not eat, many things go into affect to help you stay alive during a famine. They are: your hormones; blood sugar decreases to make you tired while conserving energy and your metabolism process decreases to make your retain fat from the food you do eat. It will take about three weeks to die from starvation when not consuming food. The average person should consume around 1800 calories a day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the human body goes with out water the whole system will start to shutdown. Without water the liver will stop filtering blood and cause kidney’s to fail. Also cell activities will stop because the water acts as a transition stage for nutrients going in and out of the cell. After the water is gone, cells can not survive for more then three days.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cell during a lack of water goes in to a state of â€Å"suspended animation† which is when all cell processes slow down. The mitochondria slow down and reduce the production of energy forming materials. In plant cells the chloroplast stops responding to light and the energy of the cell then slows down and goes dominant.

Nathaniel Hawthorne-Gothic Elements

Nathaniel Hawthorne uses ‘gothic’ elements in his stories a great deal. The story it stuck out to me the most in was Young Goodman Brown. The main things in the story that made the gothic elements stick out to me are some of the settings, and characters, and events that happen within the story. This whole story is crawling with gothic elements, some very obvious and others not so much. The story starts of in the late 16th early 17th century in Salem Massachusetts. This is the time during the Salem witch trials. This was probably, not the best time to be in Salem if I had to guess.The story starts of sunny, not so gloomy but suddenly gets that way as soon as Goodman Brown leaves his wife Faith on his errand in the woods. Anything at dusk will have that gloomy eerie filling, but woods have that little something extra that makes them extra eerie. â€Å"He had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through, and closed immediately. † (Perkins 449) The imagery that pops up in your head when you read this is not the only thing I get out of this sentence a little creepy.The word usage is what really gets me. Hawthorne’s use of words was just amazing. The way he made you feel, you could tell it was not anywhere you would want to be. The words dreary, gloomiest and creep just gives you the chills. Once Goodman Brown is in the woods the setting only gets more gloomy and dreary. Another really strange scene is when Goodman Brown can see the bright sky, and then all of a sudden a big black cloud forms right over Brown’s head. Everywhere else he could see the â€Å"Blue Sky† (Prekins 453) except over him. Is that not creepy or what?The book calls the dark cloud a â€Å"black mass of cloud. † (Perkins 453) This is when all the dark things happen. Some of the characters in Young Goodman Brown that have a gothic since to them are very obvious. T he Devil is an example of one that to me was a little tricky at first. This part of the story threw me. It took me reading it for the second time to actually figure out that was the devil was the gentleman that Goodman met in the woods the whole time. After sitting back and actually thinking about it, it’s quite obvious that this man is in fact the devil.The strange thing that I found about the devil is he was about the same age as Goodman Brown and favored him â€Å"in expression more than features. † (Perkins 449) So he was not at all what you think the devil would appear like. The one thing that did make since that was dark about the man, was his walking stick. â€Å"His staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought that it might almost be seen to twist and wriggle itself like a live serpent. † (Perkins 449) This was the dark thing that should have warned Goodman about the man.Goodman Brown is another one that is a little off. Th ough you do not see it in the beginning of the story, you do more toward the end. Goodman seems like a god Christian fellow, especially when he says, â€Å"With heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil. † (Perkins 453) This is when the cloud talked about earlier appears and Goodman soon after loses his faith. One thing that caught my eye about Goodman Brown and why I thought he was somewhat corrupted is when he goes up to the altar. He tries fighting it the whole time, but eventually gives in.The elements in the story Young Goodman Brown that has the gothic feel to them are somewhat obvious, and the reason why he uses these elements. The reason Hawthorne uses Gothicism is to show that there can be evil in everyone. The devil can show up anywhere. Goodman Brown found this out the hard way, he also found out sometimes you truly do not know someone. Some people can surprise you, and not be who you think they are. This is the biggest thing I got out o f this story. Works Cited Perkins, George and Barbara. The American Tradition in Literature. New York, New York: mcGraw-Hill, 2009.

Earliest Form of Buddhist Education to Be Found In Vietnam

Buddhism entered Vietnam during the beginning of first century CE. By the second century Buddhist visited a central region in Vietnam known as the Luy-Lau centre. This centre is now in the Bac-Ninh province. Luy-Lau was the capital of Vietnam and this is the reason it was an important place for the Buddhists to visit. On their way to china monks stopped at this central region and taught people about Buddhism. Many teachings were translated in this central region such as Mahayana sutras and the Agamas. These were translated into Chinese as Vietnamese culture and religion is influenced a lot by the Chinese culture .Vietnam is influenced by Chinese culture because Vietnam was occupied by Chinese during the 111 BCE and 939 CE . GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF VIETNAM Vietnam has Cambodia and Laos to the west and Chinese colossus, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Thailand and Burma to the east and south. The eastern most part of Vietnam reaches India. The coastline is almost 2,500 kilometers. This coastli ne spreads from Mong-Cay, which is in the north to Cambodia. In early days Vietnam was the region between India and China which is actually a peninsula. This was formerly known as Funan and Campa.Being so near the two most densely populated countries, Vietnam had a lot of influence from their culture, politic and religion . BUDDHIST INFLUENCE Vietnamese are very religious. They practice quite a number of religions like, Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism etc. Buddhism first came in North Vietnam . It was then known as Giao-Chi. These were Indian or Chinese Buddhists who came here from either land or sea routes and started influencing people. Giao-Chi became the centre of everything by the end of second century as the Indian merchants started doing trade there, and with them they brought monks also.Buddhism was very influential at that time, as we can see that these traders brought monks with them because they were called the â€Å"calmer of the sea† . These monks were priests who later started preaching their religion in Vietnam. It became easier for them, because Giao-Ching was the central place where every traders and foreign travelers, Chinese and Indians met. Moreover the merchants rested here also if they were travelling between India and China. Thus monks and priests had one central place to preach their religion. They started missionary activities and as a result monasteries were built.This was the first time that monasteries were built in Vietnam during the reign of Si-Nhiep. The very first few monasteries were built in a province of North Vietnam which is now known as Ha-Bac. This was formerly known as Luy-Lau, as mentioned in the Introduction that it was the centre of missionary activities . THE FIRST BUDDHISTS IN VIETNAM The earliest form of Buddhist education was found to be given by a Taoist who later became a Buddhist. Before him, it is said, that several missionaries from China came to preach Buddhism . During the rule of Si-Nhiep, two monks named Ma Ha Ky Vuc and Khau Da La came to Vietnam.These were Indian monks. Tu-Dinh from Khmer kingdom requested them to stay there in Vietnam. The second monk however refused and went back where as Ma Ha Ky Vuc stayed. Tu-Dinh was a very religious man himself and used to fast for several days. This he said helped purify his body and soul. These two were the first monks to reach Giao-Chi. After them a Chinese Buddhist preacher named Mau-Bac came to Giao-Chi. During the time when Mau-Bac came to Giao-Chi, China was in serious political chaos. Due to this several monks and scholars came to Vietnam. Giao-Chi was under the rule of Si-Nhiep back then and was considered a safe place.Mau-Bac after coming to Vietnam studied Buddhism from an Indian monk named Ksudra. Ma Ha Ky Vuc, who had come to Vietnam before any of these, with the help of Ksudra and Mau-Bac started promoting Buddhism in Vietnam. These were the first people who started to promote Buddhism and their teaching is the very earl y form of Buddhist study to be found in Vietnam. After Mau-Bac many monks started to propagate Buddhism. Khang Tang Hoi and Cuong Luong Lau also came to Giao-Chi during the third century. Khang Tang Hoi entered a monastery when he was ten and from there started studying and practicing Buddhism.Apart from Buddhism he also studied literature, astronomy and other subjects. He translated many books relating Buddhism into Chinese. Though he was Indian born but is considered as a Vietnamese Buddhist. Cuong Luong Lau like Khang Tang Hoi also translated many Buddhist books in Chinese . The main Buddhist centre was Luy-Lau at that time; it is now known as Ha Bac and is situated in North Vietnam. Phap Van was a famous monastery in Luy-Lau and during the second and third century was famously known as â€Å"the school of doctrine† and â€Å"the lotus school†. In 968 A.D, when King Dinh Tien Hoang came in to power, Buddhism in Vietnam changed. It entered a new era. Buddhism now had a hierarchy of monks and priests and it was now accepted by the court. As Buddhism was now supported by the royal court many changes took place. Buddhists were respected and were asked advice before taking decisions. Buddhists were involved in many political and religious decisions. During this period Buddhism was at its best. It was the most predominant religion. Many kings and emperors after this period were Buddhists. Many laws came into practice in this era, which were influenced by Buddhism.Van Hanh, who is also known as the meditation master is of this era. Any ruler who was not Buddhists was at least the supporter of Buddhism. In 1010 A. D, almost eight monasteries were built in Ha Bac. All other monasteries and Buddhist temples were also repaired. Tripitaka texts, which were in China initially, were brought in Vietnam. Thousands of Buddha statues and paintings were made and set up. Festivals were set up. Many new monasteries such as Sung Kharh monastery and monastery at Mou nt Ba were built. In 1086 A. d Dai Lam monastery was built in Ha Bac.Later in 1118 A. D Thien Phat was built which had almost 1,000 Buddha statues . BUDDHIST STUDIES IN VIETNAM Buddhist studies in Vietnam can be divided in to four eras. 1. From the entrance in Vietnam to the first century 2. From 11th century to 14th century, which was the best era of Buddhist studies 3. After 25th century, which was the time of declination of Buddhism 4. Present Buddhist studies in Vietnam People have different opinions about the exact date on which Buddhism entered Vietnam. It is believed that Buddhism entered Vietnam in first century A.D; some people believe it was the year 189 of the Christian era. Historians say that Meou-Po, who was a Taoist before he became a Buddhist, was the first person to make any Buddhist teaching in Vietnam. Though many missionaries came before him, but they only laid grounds on which it became possible for Meou-Po to enter and teach Buddhism. It was very difficult to t each Buddhism at that time as very little literature was available. Vietnamese had no written script; hence a few translations were made in Chinese. The era between 544 and 602 was an independent era and was helpful in spreading Buddhism.Though there was some progress, in this era but the real progress was made during 603 to 939. During these years two major missionaries entered Vietnam. Vinitaruci and Vo-Ngon-Thong led these two missions separately. Almost 20 shrines were built at that time and there were about 500 monks preaching Buddhism day and night. These shrines were a gift from the Chinese government. During 939 and 968 there was not much development in case of Buddhist studies. In 939 Chinese reign in Vietnam ended. Buddhist teachings paused during these years, but only in Vietnam, in China Buddhism went under a lot of scrutiny.When Dinh-Bo-Linh came in to power, Buddhism started to prosper. He acted as a protector of the religion and Buddhism was studied and adopted by man y people till Dinf-Bo-Linh’s reign till 1009. The emperor made Ngo-Chan-Luu the head of Sangha (Community of Buddhist monks). Ngo-Chan-Luu was a monk, scholar and a poet. The emperor was very much impressed by this monk who was good at Zen meditation. The emperor used to take advice from Ngo-Chan-Luu in matters of politics and military. Due to his good advices and performance he was made Imperial Councillor. He got the title of Khuong Viet which means servant of Vietnam.Ngo-Chan-Luu proved to be a very good monk and helped in spreading Buddhism. During this time Tripitaka was brought from china for the first time with the help of Vietnamese missions. People in Vietnam were taught how to read and write in Chinese characters, as Vietnamese lacked written script. This helped the scholars learn more by reading more books on Buddhism and translating others into their language. Hence the monks of those times were much learned and were respected a lot all over the country as there w ere very few people who could read and write.A scholar at that time was respected a lot and as most of the scholars were Buddhists, people started to go to them in order to learn. This helped spread Buddhist teachings . Buddhism expanded a lot during 1031 as almost a hundred temples were built during this era. A lot of Buddhist ceremonies were held and they were exempt from taxes. In 1049, the emperor built the Dien-Huu temple which was actually what he saw in his dream. He later ordered it to be constructed the way he saw it in between an artificial lake. It is one of the most famous monuments in Hanoi and is known as Temple of single column.Ly-Thanh-Ton, who reined Vietnam in 1054, was a true Buddhist. During his time food and clothing were distributed among the poor. He used to reduce the punishment of prisoners also. Hence Ly-Thanh-Ton, who tried to follow the steps of Asoka, was a very great Buddhist. In 1069, when Vietnam was at war with Champa, the emperor brought back a few prisoners. What he did not know was that one of these prisoners was a Buddhist monk. When the emperor found out about him he inquired him and discovered that he had a great knowledge of Dharma. The emperor got very impressed and allowed him to preach his religion in the Khai-Quoc temple.It was also found out that he was a Chinese monk who was actually trying to preach and practice Buddhism when he was caught. The emperor was a true Buddhist and praised scholars, and hence allowed this Chinese monk to stay in the temple. Now Buddhism was under official protection and could be spread more easily and therefore Buddhism continued to be taught among all the Vietnamese. Many writings of that time show the studies of Buddhist scholars . After this emperor all the other emperors also got interested in Buddhism. Most of them followed Zen meditation and practice. One of them became a monk and abdicated from his post of emperor.The Ly Dynasty was spread over a period of 215 years. This was the only dynasty during which the religion of Buddhism was at its climax . After this came the Tran Dynasty, during the early years of which the spread of Buddhism slowed down. Though the emperors of this dynasty were more inclined towards Buddhism, but none the less during the first seventy years of this dynasty the Buddhist studies did not prosper as it did before. One of the emperors became a monk and started practicing Zen. The last dynasty definitely proved to be the climax of Buddhism, as it was now declining.China started to reign again and due to this Confucianism started to prosper and made developments in various aspects such as philosophy and literature. Taoism grew and prospered, whereas Buddhists were stopped from preaching and practicing their religion. Buddhists books were burned and temples destroyed. This dropped the level of Buddhists studies in the country. When Vietnam got independent in 1428, it was thought that now it will be easier to renew Buddhism and spread it s studies from the beginning. However, this proved wrong and Buddhists studies did not budge.Buddhism lost its original touch and purity and people started mixing it with different ideas. No new temples were allowed to be built at that time and this also hindered the prosperity of the religion. Many monks were sent back to their lay lives and were stopped from preaching Buddhism saying that they were incompetent to do so . During 1528 and 1802 new Zen sects were developed. Temples were built and Buddhism was supported a lot. Lord Tr? nh Giang ordered rebuilding of temples. Almost 6,000 workers worked day and night to build temples of Quynh Lam and Sung nghiem. In South of Vietnam Thien Temple was built which still stands.This Temple is equipped with its famous bell which is very resonant. Chinese monks were allowed to preach their religion and therefore they moved around whole of the country teaching and preaching Buddhism. Though many efforts were taken, yet Buddhism had such disto rted form that monks were made to reside over ceremonies, Buddha was taken as a god and gifts were presented to his statue. This shows that the actual Buddhist religion had changed a lot and almost nobody knew and practiced the actual teachings of Buddha. THE IMPACT OF BUDDHIST EDUCATION The impact of Buddhist education was very great.It not only effected the religious beliefs but also had a great impact on every other day to day activity. Music, which was influenced by Indian music because of the monks coming from India, was used in religious ceremonies. Today out of eight musical instruments almost six are Indian. These instruments were taken by Indian monks, first to China and then to Vietnam. It will not be false if we say that India and China are solely responsible for spreading Buddhism in Vietnam. Though China influenced mainly the northern areas whereas, India influenced the south; China had more impact on Buddhism in Vietnam than India had.The reason is that China was in co ntact with Vietnam for thousands of years and had an influence on the politics and culture of the country. India had a lesser impact as Indian merchants went to Vietnam solely for business purposes. They sometimes took it as a resting place on their way to China. Hence they had no interest what so ever in the religion in Vietnam. However, there is certainly some influence on their religion and culture by the Indians, as the first monks to enter Vietnam for the purpose of preaching their religion were Indians. Buddhism gradually spread all over Vietnam.Though there are quite a few religions practiced in Vietnam, but almost two thirds of the population practices Buddhism. People sometimes do not have clear vision for example today a Buddhist may visit Taoist temple. These sometimes lead to superstitions and practices which show their ignorance towards the religion. Sometimes even monks do not have clear concepts about Buddhism. Buddhism really had a very strong impact on the culture a nd behavior of common man. People have better morals due to Buddhism. Even people who are not educated know that bad deeds will result in bad results.They know that they should be kind towards the people. Buddhists teachings are ordinary things which everybody should know. The motif of Buddhism is Lotus Flower. Monks are vegetarians and their teachings are based on purity and compassion. BUDDHISM CONCEPT IN VIETNAM Buddhism in Vietnam is mainly Mahayana. This Mahayana tradition has compassion as main entity. They take main words or buzzwords from Buddha like, Enlightenment, Delivered etc. The monks of Mahayana tradition try and improve their spiritual life. This spiritual life is then translated into action which is based on truth.During the decline of Buddhism in Vietnam, the monks were just an entity to receive gifts in the ceremonies. Today due to the movement in 1920, they know what ceremonies are actually for. They now have clear concept. They have texts and books to refer to a nd find meditation as the best tool. The General Buddhist Association in Vietnam is a very dynamic organization representing Buddhism in the country. It represents the true picture of Buddhism in the country. They have done efforts, held conferences in order to not only promote Buddhism but paint a clear picture about the fundamentals of Buddhism.Buddhism has prospered leaps and bounds in the country. Though there are many rival religions in the country, Buddhism is by far the most popular one. As mentioned earlier, almost two thirds of the population practices Buddhism. During 968 it was made the state religion. Buddhism in Vietnam is no wonder superior than any other religion there, as it is not only accepted publicly but also helped in the moral and spiritual training of the general public. People believe it and accept it by heart. They call it the religion of compassion. The imprint of Buddhism can be seen in art and literature as well.Music has also been inspired from it. A Eur opean author writes: â€Å"Buddhism was the first foreign influence which had a powerful bearing on the evolution of Chinese thought; and the effect of such an influence was to rekindle, stimulate and develop to the highest pitch not only the religion but also all the other spheres of its civilization A casual glance, even by one who is almost completely unaware of the spiritual world of China, at the plastic arts of China shows how completely they stem from the spirit of Buddhism and how wonderfully they blossomed forth during the Buddhist period†As Buddhism in Vietnam is influenced a lot from China and India, hence it can be said that the Chinese really had an impact on Vietnamese paintings, culture, literature and art.