The Alchemist By Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist By Paulo Coelho 2.The alchemist (in the form of Melchizedek) says to Santiago, When you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true. Write or create a response which captures a time in your own life when you had a wish, and you felt that the whole universe conspired for OR against you. What happened to make you feel that way? Did your wish come true? 3.Santiago is guided by his dreams and by omens which appear to him throughout his journey. Write about a noteworthy dream you have had, or about an omen which guided you somehow during the course of your life. How did you interpret the dream or omen, and how did it influence your life? 4.The old man states that the worlds greatest lieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.is that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of whats happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. Do you, like the old man, believe this is a lie, and that we are always in control of our destinies? Why/ why not? Why do you think people believe the Worlds greatest lie? Orà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..Write about/explore artistically a time in your life when you felt as though you had lost control, and your fate was being determined by other forces. Why did you feel that way? Did you regain control? 5. Santiago is told that people are afraid to pursue their most important dreams because they feel they dont deserve them, or that theyll be unable to achieve them. Create a written or artistic response to the following: Do you have a goal or dream which intimidates you? Why do you feel unworthy or fearful of it? What practical steps might you take to make the goal more accessible or easier to accomplish? On the other hand, are there some dreams which we are correct to fear? Do you believe some dreams should simply remain as dreams? Why/why not? Geographical Locations in the Novel: Andalusia Al-Fayoum (oasis in Egypt) Tarifa El Cairum (p.76) Salem (Jerusalem) Nile Tangier (p. 44) Coptic Monastery Ceuta (p. 44) Moors (p.27) Mecca (p. 54) Sahara Desert (36) Regional, Cultural or Spiritual Allusions and Terms: Narcissus (Prologue) Esperanto (p.66) King Melchizedek (Genesis14, King Most High) Helvetius, Elias, Fulcanelli, Geber (p.82) Koran (p. 54) Scarab (p.161) Muslim Simum (p.148 Mecca Coptic (153,154) Allah (p. 71, 97) Tiberius (p.158) Levanter (p.27) hookah (p. 114) Maktub (p. 59) The Alchemists Terms/Expressions: The Soul of the World Philosophers Stone ((p.66) The Unspoken Language Elixir of Life (p. 66) The Language of the World Master Work (p.81) Personal Legend Emerald Tablet (p. 126) Principle of Favorability (p. 29) Urim and Thummin (p. 30) Vocabulary: scabbard (37) treasonous (129) conspire elixir (133) scimitar (112) contemplate (134) brandish (112) fixedly (136) dialect (106) flourish (145) prognostication (111) sirocco (146) monotony (124) tether (151) tracts (126) recount (153) agitated (128) disciple (153) centurion (158) avidly (159) scarab (161) sacristy (163) alchemy infidel (34) Preliminary Notes About the Novel: The Alchemist is written in a fable format. What is a fable, and why would Coelho use it to tell his story? Generally speaking, fables use recognizable, simple characters and settings in order to illustrate a simple truth about life or human nature. What is it that Coelho attempts to teach? Even though you may not initially understand some of the unusual terminology in the story (Soul of the World, for example), its themes are ones which are probably familiar to you. Can you think of some old, familiar proverbs or songs that capture some of these ideas? For example, think about what ends up being more important for Santiago-the journeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.or the destination Where is it that Santiago eventually finds happiness? People have been writing and singing about the answers to these questions for years! The novel integrates ideas and philosophies of many faiths and historical periods. Many of these ideas concern the pursuit of truth, ones intended destiny and the attainment of personal happiness. Coelho refers to these combined elements as ones Personal Legend. He tells the story of Santiago in order to teach us how we may find and live out our own Personal Legends. These ideas, though, have been explored since ancient times in one form or another by countless faiths and peoples. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Christianity, Judaism, countless tribal cultures, in addition to ancient and modern philosophers, all attempt to define the idea of ones Personal Legend (though they may call it by different names), and all subscribe paths to achieving personal fulfillment. Thus, although the legend is about no faith or philosophy in particular, it is about all faiths and philosophies. Alchemy is the medieval science of transforming rocks into gold. Alchemy plays an important part in the plot (literal level) of the story, but it also becomes a symbol, or allegorical device, in the legend (figurative level). Coelho is really using characters, events and symbols as tools to show us how to achieve spiritual alchemy. In other words, how do we find or recognize the gold, our Personal Legend in the rocks of the everyday, ordinary, simple details of our lives? As Santiago discovers, sometimes the gold is not faraway, not glittery, not exotic, and not complicated, but it may require a journey of courage, faith and perseverance to discover what it is and where it is hidden. In an interview, Paulo Coelho talks about Four Pillars of Alchemy- four important tips for finding ones Personal Legend: One must believe in The Soul of the World. The ancient Latin term for this concept is anima mundi. In short, this idea suggests that everything in the world is interconnected; that is, what one does affects everything else, from the smallest grain of sand to the largest whale, and vice versa. Writers and thinkers such as Plato, Walt Whitman and Khalil Ghibran have attempted to illustrate this interconnectedness in their works. One must listen to the voice of the heart. Coelho suggests that sometimes we must follow our feelings and intuitions, even if we do not fully understand them. Through feeling one gains wisdom. One must be faithful to ones dreams, for they both test and reward us. In other words, the path to achieving ones Personal Legend may not be an easy one, but we must endure the tests in order to gain the rewards. One must surrender oneself to the universe. Coelho suggests that we must allow ourselves to be open to recognizing and learning from omens and signs which come our way. Questions for Novel Study: Why does Coelho open with the modified myth of Narcissus? How does the new version differ from the original one? How does it change the myths meaning? What might the author be suggesting about how we perceive ourselves and the world? The novel opens with Santiago thinking about his sheep. What does he observe about their existence? How might the sheep symbolize the way some people live their lives? How does his observation that they have forgotton to rely on their own instincts foreshadow later events in the story? How does Santiagos father react when his son tells him that he wants to travel?(p.9) To what degree is his fathers observation about travelers (They come in search of new things, but when they leave they are basically the same people they were when they arrived.) true about Santiago? Why does the old fortune teller say that Santiagos dream is difficult to interpret?(p.12-14). Why is Santiago suspicious of her? The old man tells Santiago the story about the miner and the emerald on p. 24. How does it connect to Santiagos situation? What does he mean when he says that treasure is uncovered by the force of flowing water, and it is buried by the same currents? What does this quote have to do with the miner/emerald story? What point does the old mans story about the boy in the castle and the drops of oil (p.30-32) make? How might this story apply to us in our modern lives? How does the King assist Santiago in recognizing omens? When does Santiago use this help? How do Santiagos thoughts and perceptions about himself and the world begin to change on pp. 42-44? Describe three things that Santiago sees now that he had never noticed before. What lessons does Santiago learn by working at the crystal shop? Why do you think Coelho chose crystal? How does the crystal merchants explanation for not taking the pilgrimage to Mecca (p.55) highlight the difference between Santiago and the merchant? What effect does the merchant say Santiago has had on him? The Englishman and his goals are described on pp.65-70. What is he looking for? What does he demonstrate to Santiago that he already knows? On p. 78, he says that the progress made at the crystal shop is an example of the principle of the Soul of the World. What does he mean? How does he define this? How does he connect the idea to the relationship between the caravan and the desert? The oasis is described in great detail. How does its lushness, laughter and color reflect what Santiago finds there? Where else in the story does Coelho provide details about the physical setting in order to lend more meaning to the events which occur there? Explain how Santiagos union with Fatima represents the Language of the World, according to Santiago on p.93. Why does Fatima accept that her new husband wanders the desert, as she explains on p.98? What is the meaning of the two dead hawks and the falcon in the oasis? How does this omen change Santiagos status in society? During his trek through the desert with the alchemist, Santiago is told of many basic truths. The alchemist says,There is only one way to learn. Its through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey(p.125). What are some of the things Santiago has learned through action? Why do you think the alchemist tells Santiago the story about the mans dream about the two sons (the poet and the soldier) on p. 156? Why did Santiago have to go through the dangers of the tribal wars on the outskirts of the oasis in order to reach the Pyramids? At this point, the boy remembers the old proverb: The darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn. How does this apply to his situation now? At the end of the journey, why did the alchemist leave Santiago alone to complete it? Earlier in the story, the alchemist told Santiago when you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed. At the end of the story, how did this simple lesson change Santiagos life? How did it lead him back to the treasure he was looking for? Topics for Research: What is alchemy? What processes were involved? Who performed it and why? Who were the famous alchemists of the medieval period? Who is Melchizedek? What role does he play in the Old Testament? What are the Five Pillars of Islam (p. 54). What is the Koran? Explore the concept of Soul of the World as different religions and philosophies define it. Research the tribal ways of the Bedouins of the Sahara (77). Research one of the geographical settings from the novel. What are the basic theories of Freuds or Jungs dream analysis theories? Catalog all of the dreams that occur in the book, and attempt to interpret one according to a theorist. Research levanters, siroccos and other regional weather features described in the book. Post-Reading Activities: Map out Santiagos journey. Include obstacles he encounters and lessons he learns in their geographically correct locations. Provide a key which suggests ideas, progress, symbolism, etc. (I will explain) Read Walt Whitmans Leaves of Grass and keep a reaction journal which connects his verse to Coelhos Soul of the World idea. Keep a dream journal for one week. Try to interpret what you think they mean on your own, then research what they might mean according to Freud or Jung, or according to an ancient culture (medieval, Egyptian, Greek, African,etc.) Create a dance, pantomime, musical or other performance in which you use Unspoken Language to convey the story of Santiago. Create a painting, collage, photo-essay, shapescape (I will explain) or sculpture which captures an idea, relationship or moment from the story. Provide a written explanation of your work. Produce a creative writing piece which captures some of the central ideas of the book. Some ideas: Journal: A Day in the Life of a Shepherd Two or three songs (with lyrics) from The Alchemist: The Musical Rewrite a portion of the story from a different perspective: Fatima, the Alchemist,the Fortune Teller, the crystal merchant the sheep! Write Santiagos How-To Find Your Treasure Handbook, or Personal Legends for Dummies Scrapbook (with explanatory notes) of Santiagos travels-feature pictures and items which Santiago accumulates as he learns about life Letters between Fatima and Santiago Unspoken Language Journal-Tune in to the various forms of unspoken language we experience around us every day. What gestures, facial expressions, intuitions and signals do we give and receive to guide us in our responses, actions, reactions and relationships? Observe interactions at school, at home, in nature, and in public places, and record incidents which illustrate that unspoken communication is sometimes as (if not more) powerful than the spoken word.

A Game of Thrones Chapter One

Bran The morning had dawned clear and cold, with a crispness that hinted at the end of summer. They set forth at daybreak to see a man beheaded, twenty in all, and Bran rode among them, nervous with excitement. This was the first time he had been deemed old enough to go with his lord father and his brothers to see the king's justice done. It was the ninth year of summer, and the seventh of Bran's life. The man had been taken outside a small holdfast in the hills. Robb thought he was a wildling, his sword sworn to Mance Rayder, the King-beyond-the-Wall. It made Bran's skin prickle to think of it. He remembered the hearth tales Old Nan told them. The wildlings were cruel men, she said, slavers and slayers and thieves. They consorted with giants and ghouls, stole girl children in the dead of night, and drank blood from polished horns. And their women lay with the Others in the Long Night to sire terrible half-human children. But the man they found bound hand and foot to the holdfast wall awaiting the king's justice was old and scrawny, not much taller than Robb. He had lost both ears and a finger to frostbite, and he dressed all in black, the same as a brother of the Night's Watch, except that his furs were ragged and greasy. The breath of man and horse mingled, steaming, in the cold morning air as his lord father had the man cut down from the wall and dragged before them. Robb and Jon sat tall and still on their horses, with Bran between them on his pony, trying to seem older than seven, trying to pretend that he'd seen all this before. A faint wind blew through the holdfast gate. Over their heads flapped the banner of the Starks of Winterfell: a grey direwolf racing across an ice-white field. Bran's father sat solemnly on his horse, long brown hair stirring in the wind. His closely trimmed beard was shot with white, making him look older than his thirty-five years. He had a grim cast to his grey eyes this day, and he seemed not at all the man who would sit before the fire in the evening and talk softly of the age of heroes and the children of the forest. He had taken off Father's face, Bran thought, and donned the face of Lord Stark of Winterfell. There were questions asked and answers given there in the chill of morning, but afterward Bran could not recall much of what had been said. Finally his lord father gave a command, and two of his guardsmen dragged the ragged man to the ironwood stump in the center of the square. They forced his head down onto the hard black wood. Lord Eddard Stark dismounted and his ward Theon Greyjoy brought forth the sword. â€Å"Ice,† that sword was called. It was as wide across as a man's hand, and taller even than Robb. The blade was Valyrian steel, spell-forged and dark as smoke. Nothing held an edge like Valyrian steel. His father peeled off his gloves and handed them to Jory Cassel, the captain of his household guard. He took hold of Ice with both hands and said, â€Å"In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, by the word of Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, I do sentence you to die.† He lifted the greatsword high above his head. Bran's bastard brother Jon Snow moved closer. â€Å"Keep the pony well in hand,† he whispered. â€Å"And don't look away. Father will know if you do.† Bran kept his pony well in hand, and did not look away. His father took off the man's head with a single sure stroke. Blood sprayed out across the snow, as red as surnmerwine. One of the horses reared and had to be restrained to keep from bolting. Bran could not take his eyes off the blood. The snows around the stump drank it eagerly, reddening as he watched. The head bounced off a thick root and rolled. It came up near Greyjoy's feet. Theon was a lean, dark youth of nineteen who found everything amusing. He laughed, put his boot on the head, and kicked it away. â€Å"Ass,† Jon muttered, low enough so Greyjoy did not hear. He put a hand on Bran's shoulder, and Bran looked over at his bastard brother. â€Å"You did well,† Jon told him solemnly. Jon was fourteen, an old hand at justice. It seemed colder on the long ride back to Winterfell, though the wind had died by then and the sun was higher in the sky. Bran rode with his brothers, well ahead of the main party, his pony struggling hard to keep up with their horses. â€Å"The deserter died bravely,† Robb said. He was big and broad and growing every day, with his mother's coloring, the fair skin, red-brown hair, and blue eyes of the Tullys of Riverrun. â€Å"He had courage, at the least.† â€Å"No,† Jon Snow said quietly. â€Å"It was not courage. This one was dead of fear. You could see it in his eyes, Stark.† Jon's eyes were a grey so dark they seemed almost black, but there was little they did not see. He was of an age with Robb, but they did not look alike. Jon was slender where Robb was muscular, dark where Robb was fair, graceful and quick where his half brother was strong and fast. Robb was not impressed. â€Å"The Others take his eyes,† he swore. â€Å"He died well. Race you to the bridge?† â€Å"Done,† Jon said, kicking his horse forward. Robb cursed and followed, and they galloped off down the trail, Robb laughing and hooting, Jon silent and intent. The hooves of their horses kicked up showers of snow as they went. Bran did not try to follow. His pony could not keep up. He had seen the ragged man's eyes, and he was thinking of them now. After a while, the sound of Robb's laughter receded, and the woods grew silent again. So deep in thought was he that he never heard the rest of the party until his father moved up to ride beside him. â€Å"Are you well, Bran?† he asked, not unkindly. â€Å"Yes, Father,† Bran told him. He looked up. Wrapped in his furs and leathers, mounted on his great warhorse, his lord father loomed over him like a giant. â€Å"Robb says the man died bravely, but Jon says he was afraid.† â€Å"What do you think?† his father asked. Bran thought about it. â€Å"Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?† â€Å"That is the only time a man can be brave,† his father told him. â€Å"Do you understand why I did it?† â€Å"He was a wildling,† Bran said. â€Å"They carry off women and sell them to the Others.† His lord father smiled. â€Å"Old Nan has been telling you stories again. In truth, the man was an oathbreaker, a deserter from the Night's Watch. No man is more dangerous. The deserter knows his life is forfeit if he is taken, so he will not flinch from any crime, no matter how vile. But you mistake me. The question was not why the man had to die, but why I must do it.† Bran had no answer for that. â€Å"King Robert has a headsman,† he said, uncertainly. â€Å"He does,† his father admitted. â€Å"As did the Targaryen kings before him. Yet our way is the older way. The blood of the First Men still flows in the veins of the Starks, and we hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die. â€Å"One day, Bran, you will be Robb's bannerman, holding a keep of your own for your brother and your king, and justice will fall to you. When that day comes, you must take no pleasure in the task, but neither must you look away. A ruler who hides behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is.† That was when Jon reappeared on the crest of the hill before them. He waved and shouted down at them. â€Å"Father, Bran, come quickly, see what Robb has found!† Then he was gone again. Jory rode up beside them. â€Å"Trouble, my lord?† â€Å"Beyond a doubt,† his lord father said. â€Å"Come, let us see what mischief my sons have rooted out now.† He sent his horse into a trot. Jory and Bran and the rest came after. They found Robb on the riverbank north of the bridge, with Jon still mounted beside him. The late summer snows had been heavy this moonturn. Robb stood knee-deep in white, his hood pulled back so the sun shone in his hair. He was cradling something in his arm, while the boys talked in hushed, excited voices. The riders picked their way carefully through the drifts, groping for solid footing on the hidden, uneven ground. Jory Cassel and Theon Greyjoy were the first to reach the boys. Greyjoy was laughing and joking as he rode. Bran heard the breath go out of him. â€Å"Gods!† he exclaimed, struggling to keep control of his horse as he reached for his sword. Jory's sword was already out. â€Å"Robb, get away from it!† he called as his horse reared under him. Robb grinned and looked up from the bundle in his arms. â€Å"She can't hurt you,† he said. â€Å"She's dead, Jory.† Bran was afire with curiosity by then. He would have spurred the pony faster, but his father made them dismount beside the bridge and approach on foot. Bran jumped off and ran. By then Jon, Jory, and Theon Greyjoy had all dismounted as well. â€Å"What in the seven hells is it?† Greyjoy was saying. â€Å"A wolf,† Robb told him. â€Å"A freak,† Greyjoy said. â€Å"Look at the size of it.† Bran's heart was thumping in his chest as he pushed through a waist-high drift to his brothers' side. Half-buried in bloodstained snow, a huge dark shape slumped in death. Ice had formed in its shaggy grey fur, and the faint smell of corruption clung to it like a woman's perfume. Bran glimpsed blind eyes crawling with maggots, a wide mouth full of yellowed teeth. But it was the size of it that made him gasp. It was bigger than his pony, twice the size of the largest hound in his father's kennel. â€Å"It's no freak,† Jon said calmly. â€Å"That's a direwolf. They grow larger than the other kind.† Theon Greyjoy said, â€Å"There's not been a direwolf sighted south of the Wall in two hundred years.† â€Å"I see one now,† Jon replied. Bran tore his eyes away from the monster. That was when he noticed the bundle in Robb's arms. He gave a cry of delight and moved closer. The pup was a tiny ball of grey-black fur, its eyes still closed. It nuzzled blindly against Robb's chest as he cradled it, searching for milk among his leathers, making a sad little whimpery sound. Bran reached out hesitantly. â€Å"Go on,† Robb told him. â€Å"You can touch him.† Bran gave the pup a quick nervous stroke, then turned as Jon said, â€Å"Here you go.† His half brother put a second pup into his arms. â€Å"There are five of them.† Bran sat down in the snow and hugged the wolf pup to his face. Its fur was soft and warm against his cheek. â€Å"Direwolves loose in the realm, after so many years,† muttered Hullen, the master of horse. â€Å"I like it not.† â€Å"It is a sign,† Jory said. Father frowned. â€Å"This is only a dead animal, Jory,† he said. Yet he seemed troubled. Snow crunched under his boots as he moved around the body. â€Å"Do we know what killed her?† â€Å"There's something in the throat,† Robb told him, proud to have found the answer before his father even asked. â€Å"There, just under the jaw.† His father knelt and groped under the beast's head with his hand. He gave a yank and held it up for all to see. A foot of shattered antler, tines snapped off, all wet with blood. A sudden silence descended over the party. The men looked at the antler uneasily, and no one dared to speak. Even Bran could sense their fear, though he did not understand. His father tossed the antler to the side and cleansed his hands in the snow. â€Å"I'm surprised she lived long enough to whelp,† he said. His voice broke the spell. â€Å"Maybe she didn't,† Jory said. â€Å"I've heard tales . . . maybe the bitch was already dead when the pups came.† â€Å"Born with the dead,† another man put in. â€Å"Worse luck.† â€Å"No matter,† said Hullen. â€Å"They be dead soon enough too.† Bran gave a wordless cry of dismay. â€Å"The sooner the better,† Theon Greyjoy agreed. He drew his sword. â€Å"Give the beast here, Bran.† The little thing squirmed against him, as if it heard and understood. â€Å"No!† Bran cried out fiercely. â€Å"It's mine.† â€Å"Put away your sword, Greyjoy,† Robb said. For a moment he sounded as commanding as their father, like the lord he would someday be. â€Å"We will keep these pups.† â€Å"You cannot do that, boy,† said Harwin, who was Hullen's son. â€Å"It be a mercy to kill them,† Hullen said. Bran looked to his lord father for rescue, but got only a frown, a furrowed brow. â€Å"Hullen speaks truly, son. Better a swift death than a hard one from cold and starvation.† â€Å"No!† He could feel tears welling in his eyes, and he looked away. He did not want to cry in front of his father. Robb resisted stubbornly. â€Å"Ser Rodrik's red bitch whelped again last week,† he said. â€Å"It was a small litter, only two live pups. She'll have milk enough.† â€Å"She'll rip them apart when they try to nurse.† â€Å"Lord Stark,† Jon said. It was strange to hear him call Father that, so formal. Bran looked at him with desperate hope. â€Å"There are five pups,† he told Father. â€Å"Three male, two female.† â€Å"What of it, Jon?† â€Å"You have five trueborn children,† Jon said. â€Å"Three sons, two daughters. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord.† Bran saw his father's face change, saw the other men exchange glances. He loved Jon with all his heart at that moment. Even at seven, Bran understood what his brother had done. The count had come right only because Jon had omitted himself. He had included the girls, included even Rickon, the baby, but not the bastard who bore the surname Snow, the name that custom decreed be given to all those in the north unlucky enough to be born with no name of their own. Their father understood as well. â€Å"You want no pup for yourself, Jon?† he asked softly. â€Å"The direwolf graces the banners of House Stark,† Jon pointed out. â€Å"I am no Stark, Father.† Their lord father regarded Jon thoughtfully. Robb rushed into the silence he left. â€Å"I will nurse him myself, Father,† he promised. â€Å"I will soak a towel with warm milk, and give him suck from that.† â€Å"Me too!† Bran echoed. The lord weighed his sons long and carefully with his eyes. â€Å"Easy to say, and harder to do. I will not have you wasting the servants' time with this. If you want these pups, you will feed them yourselves. Is that understood?† Bran nodded eagerly. The pup squirmed in his grasp, licked at his face with a warm tongue. â€Å"You must train them as well,† their father said. â€Å"You must train them. The kennelmaster will have nothing to do with these monsters, I promise you that. And the gods help you if you neglect them, or brutalize them, or train them badly. These are not dogs to beg for treats and slink off at a kick. A direwolf will rip a man's arm off his shoulder as easily as a dog will kill a rat. Are you sure you want this?† â€Å"Yes, Father,† Bran said. â€Å"Yes,† Robb agreed. â€Å"The pups may die anyway, despite all you do.† â€Å"They won't die,† Robb said. â€Å"We won't let them die.† â€Å"Keep them, then. Jory, Desmond, gather up the other pups. It's time we were back to Winterfell.† It was not until they were mounted and on their way that Bran allowed himself to taste the sweet air of victory. By then, his pup was snuggled inside his leathers, warm against him, safe for the long ride home. Bran was wondering what to name him. Halfway across the bridge, Jon pulled up suddenly. â€Å"What is it, Jon?† their lord father asked. â€Å"Can't you hear it?† Bran could hear the wind in the trees, the clatter of their hooves on the ironwood planks, the whimpering of his hungry pup, but Jon was listening to something else. â€Å"There,† Jon said. He swung his horse around and galloped back across the bridge. They watched him dismount where the direwolf lay dead in the snow, watched him kneel. A moment later he was riding back to them, smiling. â€Å"He must have crawled away from the others,† Jon said. â€Å"Or been driven away,† their father said, looking at the sixth pup. His fur was white, where the rest of the litter was grey. His eyes were as red as the blood of the ragged man who had died that morning. Bran thought it curious that this pup alone would have opened his eyes while the others were still blind. â€Å"An albino,† Theon Greyjoy said with wry amusement. â€Å"This one will die even faster than the others.† Jon Snow gave his father's ward a long, chilling look. â€Å"I think not, Greyjoy,† he said. â€Å"This one belongs to me.†

Greenway hotel Case Study Essay

1.0 Introduction Greenway hotel is a hotel chain of Great Britain, and there are more than 60 hotels in Britain. Now, Greenway hotel has a new small hotel chain headquarters in Germany, so they want to keep the half of the new hotel and renamed as Greenway part of the hotel group, the other half to sell. In order to have a better understanding of the Multinational Resourcing, we analyzed the Greenway hotel employees choose way. Multinational Resourcing is A procurement strategy in which a business seeks to find the most cost efficient location for manufacturing a product, even if the location is in a foreign country. (Virolainen, V. M. 1998). Under Multinational Resourcing, there are several strategies may use onto business environment as company direction to become competitive among industries such as Parent Country Nationals (PCNs),Host Country Nationals (HCNs) and Adopt a Mixed (PCNs + HCNs). 2.0 Problem According to the article, because the new hotel is acquired, so many employees have left, so new hotels lack of employees in Germany. As is known to all, Greenway hotel is the hotel chain from the UK, so for the German business perspective, their lack of understanding of German information and business culture. Due to work in Germany, the hotel also has a problem which is the communication between employees, German employees speak German, but Britain’s staffs are using English, hence, it will be difficult to communicate between employees, and produce some problems. Finally, the new hotel requires four months later will be opened, so short time is also a  problem. These problems are the multinational companies outside their home countries to establish subsidiary possible problems, to solve these problems, the company can better development in countries outside of the home country. 3.0 Cause of problem Case study showed that the old employees have departed, 70% due to buy so now, Greenway hotel requires a lot of new employees, just can make the new hotel can normal operation. Second, because of the new hotel is not in home, so they are facing the new management problem, German and British business environment different, in order to attract more guests, new hotels can’t expose more British management mode. Third, due to the new employees have German and British, this will lead to the problem of language, make it difficult to manage the company. Finally, the head office for the time is short, this could lead to a new company open is not ready, it will affect the company’s reputation. 4.0 Recommendation 4.1 Lack of staff Lack of staff that is every multinational enterprises expand when encounter problems. By buying companies, some employees may leave, because the company is not stable, it will make the new staff to reduce, so the new hotel need to recruit more staff. New employees should be good for Chinese people, I believe, is preferred, although this can make the home staff less employment opportunities, but this will be conducive to the development of the new hotel. McDonald’s, for example, McDonald’s in entering a new country, would face a lack of staff. So, they will recruit new employees, such ability can let a subsidiary functioning normally. McDonald’s choice of employees have their own ideas, grass-roots staff they generally choose the host state employees, but the manager will choose home staff, not only conducive to management, also can make the subsidiary can develop faster. So the Greenway hotel should study the staffs choose way, so that we can better development in host countries. 4.2 lack of understanding of German information and business culture Due to Greenway hotel is a British company, the German problem and business culture is not understand. Therefore, the company  cannot be accepted by most customers in Germany, may also than other local hotel, and also will reduce the hotel’s profit. Greenway hotel should hire a part of the German employees, because they know a lot about the domestic market, so , the hotel will be faster accepted by customers. Second, Greenway hotel should find some employees to do market research before the opening, so as to better understand customers’ needs and preferences of Germany. Moreover, the hotels decorate those who can’t accord the British model, to apply to Germany. Like McDonald’s into other countries, for example, they will do market research, according to local custom to produce some suitable for local food, so that we can attract more guests. Second, their grassroots employees can choose host countries, but in front of the work to practice, so as not to not understand the workings of a McDonald’s. Greenway hotel can also use this way, it can be faster understand German problem and the commercial culture, let the new company can be faster to Greenway hotel group to make a profit. 4.3 The communication between staff Because we choose is mixed way to recruit staff, so the employee communication will appear problem. British workers are speaking English, but German workers speak German, so they produce very big problems of communicating. We can use two methods to solve this problem. First, let the staff to learn German, arrange the tutorial, as soon as possible so that we can solve the problem of language. Second, can only by UK employees, top management of the underlying managers choose to master English German, grass-roots staff all adopt the German employees, so you can avoid the problem of language, but this method is less multinationals own characteristic .Now most multinational companies will choose the first method, because it not only to the home country employee job opportunities, but also can cooperate with host country staff, formed a new service mode, so that we can better attract customers and gain  higher profits for the company. 4.4 Preparation time is short From the article, we know that Lincoln company gave only four months as a time to prepare, it is a challenge for the new company. First, they want to recruit employees, because employees 70% have left before. Second, they want  to solve the problem of communication between employees, such ability can let the staff could work together. Third, because the two countries cultures are different. For these problems, 4 months of preparation time is very short, so, in order to know how to solve these problems, for example, McDonald’s when they set up shop in China is mainly for host countries, so that we can reduce the time of the staff. Second, after the good employees, McDonald’s will be paid to staff training, let employees can adapt to the new job. Third, it has carried on the western food, Chinese fast food market survey, listened to the general public opinion. This survey is not common in China at that time. Fourth, to a large number of design novel and unique with the characteristics of McDonald’s advertising create a market in China, this is off the Chinese consumers’ appetite. Greenway hotel can also learn the McDonald’s to enter the Chinese way, hiring and training in Germany, and in training to send staff do market research in advance, and assign to Germany for a development strategy, so as to let the hotel to the development of better, still can save time to prepare. 5.0 Conclusion Along with the deepening of economic globalization and the vigorous development of tourism industry, the multinational hotel group covers more than half of global hotel. Transnational expansion is the inevitable choice of hotel enterprises to seek greater development, global expansion has become the new century hotel enterprise important tourism economic phenomenon. Traditional research in the field of international expansion of hotel enterprises based on the basis of economics and management, and based on the research of geography foundation is weak. Hotel enterprises transnational expansion means that break through the border of a country or region, into another country or region development, this is like a strong geographical spatial properties. Hotel international expansion has become a trend. The expansion of the hotel will produce a lot of problems. So, find the ice can better to solve these problems for hotel development in host countries, bring more profits and business opportunities. References 1. A survey of procurement strategy development in industrial companies. International Journal of Production Economics, 56, 677-688 2. http://wiki.mbalib.com/wiki/%E9%BA%A6%E5%BD%93%E5%8A%B3%E5%8 5%AC%E5%8F%B8 3. http://wiki.mbalib.com/wiki/%E9%BA%A6%E5%BD%93%E5%8A%B3%E5%8 5%AC%E5%8F%B8

Social Classes Comparative Sociology - 1751 Words

Social Classes: Comparative Sociology In this paper I will contrast how Marx and Weber understood the undergirding social dynamics of capitalist society. Whereas Marx look at social classes and class struggle, Weber focuses on different spheres of status, class situation, and power group (being associations of people that tried to influence social actions). Durkheim, a structural functionalist, argued everything in society exist for a purpose, and that society is bounded together by ideas and social unity, what he calls: social solidarity. Weber focused on rationality and bureaucracy, he believed they were key elements of modern society and saw as central to their functioning the way in which people felt in their living situation. Marx, with a very different approach, looked at how capitalist came into being with a dominant class owning the means of productions, and a working class being compelled to selling its labor. 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