Struggle between Good and Evil in The Scarlet Letter and Macbeth Essay

Struggle between Good and Evil in The Scarlet Letter and Macbeth It is said that â€Å"all conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil.† Indeed, the fundamental conflict of human nature is that of darkness and light; and as a mirror to life, the conflicts in literature is not different from those in human nature. The struggle of good and evil is shown in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, which portrays the spiritual battle between and evil man and a sinned minister, as well as the minister’s internal turmoil. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, similarly describes a man’s moral decay and the vengeance of the wronged good people. Both authors use various literary elements and techniques such as symbolism, metaphor, theme, and characterization to illustrate the struggle between good and evil in their works. The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a story of damnation and redemption. Roger Chillingsworth, finding out his wife’s adultery with Arthur Dimmesdale upon his returning from Indian captivity vows to take revenge on the minister. In the process, however, he transforms himself into the minion of devil on earth. Through the mouth of Pearl (the fruit if the illegitimate union), the author metaphorically calls Chillingsworth â€Å"the Black Man.† Comparing Chillingsworth to the Devil, Pearl warns Dimmesdale â€Å"the Black man wants thy soul.† Indeed, Chillingsworth sets out to poison his rival – both physically and mentally. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, is waging a war within himself. His good nature craves to confess his secret affair with Hester Prynne, yet his darker side – cowardice perhaps- stubbornly refuses. In ... ...ts stem from this eternal struggle. Nathaniel Hawthorne writes The Scarlet Letter to question sin, and Shakespeare’s Macbeth gives an alarming example of moral decay. The moods of both masterpieces are gloomy, dissecting and examining the powerful darkness of human psyche. In the end, however, goodness endures and shines through the dark clouds, offering hope and testimonies for the complexity and ambivalence of humankind. Works Cited and Consulted: Brooks, Cleanth. Blame in Macbeth. London: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1987. Chase, Richard (1996). "The Lessons of the Scarlet Letter." Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne (pp. 145-152). San Diego: Greenhaven. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: St. Martins, 1991. Shakespeare, William. Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.

Recount Essay

The movie recount is a very good representation of what happened during the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. It dives into the legal battle between the two campaigns as the recount of Florida’s votes kept the nation waiting for over a month. Although the movie shows both sides of the story, I believe the Democrats supported the making of this movie. During the movie they made it seem like the Democrats were being treated unfairly but really the government was just following the rules. Today it is still a controversial topic, I believe the government handled it the right way and that if it was to happen again, the same outcome would happen. At the end of the movie they have two quotes, one by Democrat Warren Christopher, and he said, â€Å"The world is watching. We are, after all, its last great democracy†¦.†. The other by Republican, James Baker, and he said, â€Å"People are going to say all kinds of things about this election, that it was down to 154 votes, that Bush’s brother was the governor, that the US Supreme Court gave it to us. But I want you to remember that we won every single recount. Never once did we trail Gore. And who knows how many votes we lost when the networks called Florida for Gore before the polls were closed on election night? But more important than all that is that the system worked. There were no tanks on the streets. This peaceful transfer of power in the emotional and trying of times is a testament to the strength of the Constitution and our faith in the rule of law.† I agree with both of the quotes, but the one that really should make everyone trust the government is the last two sentences of James Baker’s quote. There were no tanks on the streets and no war was started over this. Both parties respected the Constitution and how it was handled. There was plenty of things that had affect on the process, but five of the most important were, butterfly ballots, hanging chad, the Florida recount law, the Republican control of Florida, and voter discrimination. Butterfly ballots are ballot papers that have names down both sides, with a single column of punch holes in the center, which has been likened to a maze. This butterfly ballot caused confusion to many voters, and quickly after they voted many had called in saying the voted for the wrong person. The reason given for the design was that they felt the people wouldn’t be able to read the font if  they put all the candidates on the same side of the ballot. Although the set up may have been confusing it is your job as a voter to pay attention to what you are doing while voting. A hanging chad is the piece of paper left hanging from a punch-card ballot when the punch is incomplete. A bulging chad is still at tached to the hole on both sides. During the 2000 election chads were a very big deal. During the recount it was a big decision whether or not to count a vote that didn’t go all the way through even if you could tell where their intended vote was heading. In my opinion they should not count the vote if it did not go all the way through, again it is your job as a voter to make your vote obvious. The Florida Recount Law states that, the close vote margin for Florida elections is 0.5% of the total votes cast for a given office or measure. The law specifies that candidates, including candidates for retention to a judicial office, and ballot measures are all subject to recounts. Both primary and general elections are eligible for recounts. The apparent losing candidate by this margin can waive the recount if such a request is made in writing to the canvassing board. The 0.5% close vote margin at first initiates a recount of paper ballots. If the recount results in a vote margin that is less than or equal to 0.25%, a hand recount is called for. However, the hand recount is only for those ballots containing under votes or over votes, and is mandated only if the collective total of under votes and over votes is enough to alter the result of the election. As many people know Florida is usually a Republican state. During the 2000 election George W. Bush’s brother, Jeb Bush, wa s the Governor of Florida during the time and many people believed this helped him win. During the movie it seemed as if the Republicans in charge were trying to end the recount as fast as possible. Many people may look at this as cheating because the Governor was a Republican, but the truth is they wanted it to end because the Democrats were only asking Democrat sections of Florida to recount and they did not want to lose the Presidency because of a recount. I think that the Republican control of Florida didn’t affect the recount at all and that they handled it the same way a Democrat party would have if roles were reversed. Voter discrimination was and still is a very big deal in Florida. During the 2000 election in Florida wide-ranging errors and unequal resources in the election process denied countless Floridians the right to vote. The majority of these Florida voters fell most harshly on the  shoulders of African Americans. The movie showed that if you had the name similar to a felon it would not let you vote as well. This was very wrong and that could have fixed the election. Although it was all very confusing and left many Americans, and the two candidates waiti ng for over a month, it all goes back to what James Baker said, â€Å"There were no tanks on the streets. This peaceful transfer of power in the emotional and trying of times is a testament to the strength of the Constitution and our faith in the rule of law.†

Analysis Of Fences By August Wilson - 1340 Words

When most people think of the term â€Å"hero† they think of comic book characters with superpowers or role models who have estimable traits. For some, the thought of a â€Å"tragic hero† could seem remotely contradicting and perplexing. However, the Greek philosopher Aristotle defines a tragic hero as a character who, for the most part, is a benevolent person, but suffers from his or her hamartia and hubris, which ultimately leads to their downfall and recognition of their poor choices, as well as the reversal of their situation. The play Fences written by August Wilson describes the struggles and hardships of an African-American family endeavoring to live the American Dream in the 1950s. Although some may argue that the main character, Troy, is not a tragic hero, evidence in the play fortifies that he is due to his essentially good nature, his hubris and his hamartia of obstinacy, which ultimately lead to the reversal of his fortune and his tragic downfall. At first g lance, Troy may not seem like the most honest and affectionate person, but when looking deeper into his actions and reasoning, one could discern that Troy truly is a kindhearted person. Troy works as a garbage man going around and dumping out other people’s trash, which undeniably is not the most desirable, glamorous, or well-paying job a man can have. However, Troy takes whatever work he can get in order to provide for his family. When arguing with Cory, Troy states, â€Å"It’s my job. It’s my responsibility! YouShow MoreRelatedFences Analysis On Fences By August Wilson1283 Words   |  6 Pages Fences Analysis In the play â€Å"Fences† by August Wilson the play’s attitude toward women is biased, and if the play was written by a female I think it would have a stronger feminine influence. Issues such as racism and discrimination against blacks may be raised in the play that the author did not bring up, and the women in the story somewhat do generally typify women in the 1950s. To support my interpretation, the women in the play were homebodies, just worrying about the household because theyRead MoreAnalysis Of Fences By August Wilson1179 Words   |  5 PagesFences, August Wilson The close reading process for this play occurs in three stages: 1. First Read (Days 2 and Day 3): Students are not to cold read the play during this period. It is essential for their understanding that this first read comes from a fluent adult reader or (less ideally) from a recording of the play. Teachers should pre-select moments of tension or surprise when students should stop and jot their thoughts, ideas and questions about the text. The suggested cues for the openRead MoreAnalysis Of Fences By August Wilson1251 Words   |  6 PagesFences by August Wilson is a play about African American life during the 1950’s era, it reflects a transitional time where African Americans begin to stand up and fight against racism. The father son relationship is a centering conflict within the play Fences. Throughout the play we are immersed into this complex connection of Troy and his two sons, Cory and Lyon. Troy struggles to create an identity separate from what is forced on him through an oppressive society. His battle with identity streamsRead MoreAnalysis Of Fences By August Wilson1612 Words   |  7 Pages In August Wilson s play Fences, he uses his piece to explain that someone unable to control their actions caused by selfish, hatred, or angry emotions will cause issues in one s personal life, general decisions, and in family life. Wilson hopes to target people who can t control their emotions and wishes to prevent the negative effects of uncontrolled actions caused by negative emotion. The inability to control one s emotions can harm their friends, decision making, and family. Wilson mainRead MoreAnalysis Of Fences By August Wilson Essay1837 Words   |  8 PagesFences written by August Wilson, the setting reveals the man that Troy Maxson really is. The set of the play represents Troy Maxson’s character within the play where him and his family reside in a fenced in yard of Troy’s front porch, brick house. He is proud to provide a home for his family. However, Troy has not accomplished this achievement on his own. Which takes a toll on Troy when he realizes he has nothing to show for his life which leads Troy to feel ashamed of himself. The protagonist, TroyRead MoreAnalysis Of August Wilsons Fences 1800 Words   |  8 PagesAugust Wilsons â€Å"Fences† takes us on a journey that transforms the 20th century impression of a Negro Family with Insatiability, Tenderness, and Sacrifice. The famous play is an autobiography of an American Negro man who loses his dreams for the people he loves. Fences demonstrates us what sacrifice looks li ke and how egocentricity still exist today. Fences takes place with a family in Pittsburgh from 1957 to 1965. The characters are Troy, Bono, Rose, Lyons, Gabriel, Cory, and Raynell. Fï  ¥Ã¯  ®Ã¯  £Ã¯  ¥Ã¯  ³Ã¯â‚¬  Ã¯  ©s importantRead MoreAnalysis Of `` Fences `` By August Wilson867 Words   |  4 Pagesa family. August Wilson’s â€Å"Fences† portrays extremely well what happens when a member of the family decides to forget his or her duties. The use of metaphors and symbols throughout the play such as baseball and fences, illustrate exactly why Troy Maxson as a family man was destined for disappointment. Rose, Troy’s wife in the play was the obvious voice of reason between the two; all she wanted was an interrupted happy family life. The fences that she put up were not physical fences but ratherRead MoreAnalysis Of Fences By August Wilson1656 Words   |  7 Pagesand typically a positive thing. There are times, however, when the people that children emulate are not the best examples society has to offer. In the play Fences Cory looks up to his dad when it comes to sports. However, by the end of the play the reader starts to notice that Troy is not the man to look up to. The plot in Fences by August Wilson is centered around an African American family that looks at the world a little differently by that I mean when Troy was young people believed blacks shouldn’tRead MoreAnalysis Of Fences By August Wilson1240 Words   |  5 Pagescontinued to pursue this goal despite the likeliness of failure? Would it still be worth it? Fences by August Wilson tells the story of an i mpoverished African-American family in the 1950s and the father Troy’s failed American Dream. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates the upper class in the Roaring Twenties and a man named Gatsby who also fails to attain his long-awaited dream. Both Wilson, in Fences, and Fitzgerald, in The Great Gatsby don’t believe solely in the dreamer or solely in theRead MoreAnalysis Of Fences By August Wilson1307 Words   |  6 PagesIn 1990, after Paramount Pictures and playwright August Wilson came to a disagreement about the adaptation of his play Fences, Wilson published an Op-Ed in Spin magazine titled â€Å"I Want a Black Director.† The Spike Lee edited piece discussed what Wilson saw as the penultimate disagreement between himself and the studio, stating specifically: â€Å"At the time of my last meeting with Paramount Pictures in January 1990, a well-known, highly respected white director wanted very much to direct the film

We the Animals by Justin Torres - 1666 Words

Justin Torres Novel We the Animals is a story about three brothers who lived a harassed childhood life. There parents are both young and have no permanent jobs to support their family. The narrator and his brothers are delinquents who are mostly outside, causing trouble, causing and getting involved in a lot of problems and barely attending school, which their parents allowed them to do. The narrator and his brothers were physically abused by their father, leading them to become more violent to one another and others, drinking alcohol and dropping out of school. Physical abuse is an abuse involving one person’s intention to cause feelings of pain, injury and other physical suffering and bodily harm to the victim. Children are more†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Us burglars, we said to Paps the time he caught us on the roof, getting ready to rappel. And later when pap’s had us on the ground and was laying into many†¦ Joel nodded his chin toward pap’s wh o was unfastening his belt† (Torres 25). Pap’s punished all three brothers physically for putting their lives in danger and causing problems, but Pap’s should have tried to punish them some other way like grounding them, than abusing them. Since pap’s wasn’t educated, he probably didn’t know the long run symptoms of physical abuse which made the three brothers more violent towards one another and people outside, they became a delinquent as they grew older. Since all three brothers still had not reached puberty yet, they had a high rate of becoming violent like Pap’s as they grow older. â€Å"Children both genders who experienced physical abuse prior to puberty presented higher rates of abusive behaviors than those with physical abuse after puberty† (Martinez, Figueriedo, Albiol 511). Since the narrator and his brothers were mostly abused by their father before the age of puberty they had a higher chance of having abusive behavio rs and that is exactly what happen. They become more violent towards each other and to the people on the streets. As the brothers grew older they ended up fighting each other more even over a small argument, especially Manny and Joel. One time when all three brothers were away from home hanging around on an old man’sShow MoreRelated`` We The Animals `` By Justin Torres1207 Words   |  5 Pagesfree, you can die free, you can be free your entire life, and you still may never feel that you are as unbridled as you should be. In our lives, we each face our own confinements. Whether they be a job we hate, someone we cannot untangle ourselves from, or a family that, in meaning to hold us close, holds us down. In the novel We The Animals by Justin Torres the reader faces the freedom, desperation, and internment of Ma. Ma is the matriarch of the household. She raises three young boys whilst alsoRead MoreComparative Essay : We The Animals And The Woman Warrior1902 Words   |  8 Pa gesEssay on We the Animals and The Woman Warrior In a literature world, some authors like to make up stories for fiction, and some authors collect facts to document information for non-fiction. As times had passed, there were many authors who would like to change their works, specifically non-fiction, a little bit by being creative, either by exaggerating the truth or creating an unnamed narrator based on the author himself or herself. There were two bestselling novels, We the Animals by Justin TorresRead MoreThe Taught Dance By Justin Torres1600 Words   |  7 Pageswith ones’ parental figures become somewhat of a mirror of how one will act themselves in their adult life, any sort of trauma experienced during childhood can compromise your behavior. This Freudian analysis is apparent in the novel, We the Animals by Justin Torres. â€Å"Paps† as his own children tenderly refer him, is suggested to have experienced parental abuse as a child. In turn, although he undoubtedly loves his children for continuing to be a pa rt of their lives for so long when he has had theRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesof Environmental Transitions †¢ Richard P. Tucker 315 About the Contributors †¢ 343 _ IN TR OD UC TIO N Michael Adas B y any of the customary measures we deploy to demarcate historical epochs, the twentieth century does not appear to be a very coherent unit. The beginnings and ends of what we choose to call centuries are almost invariably years of little significance. But there is little agreement over when the twentieth century c.e. arrived, and there were several

Should Driving Restrictions And Guidelines Be Stricter

Currently, teenagers as young as 15 or 16 are allowed to obtain a driver’s license. Usually, most teenagers are inexperienced and this could be a huge risk. Therefore, should driving restrictions and guidelines be stricter? Supporters argue that stricter driving laws should be put in place because teens tend to not only be inexperienced, but also irresponsible and prone to distractions. However, critics argue that making stricter guidelines would only make matters worse. They argue that teens gain freedom and responsibility when they obtain a driver’s license. With evidence providing proof that teen drivers have the highest rate of automobile accidents compared to any other age group, driving guidelines should be stricter. Teenage drivers†¦show more content†¦The only proof the teen need is a certificate of completion of 50 hours of driving. This is the part where anyone could lie and there isn’t a way to find out. Then there is a 16 year old who obtain an operator’s license and has a wider range of time to drive. In addition, a 16 year old can drive unaccompanied by an adult between the hours of 6 am and 11pm. This could be extremely dangerous since this is an age where the teen is in high school and isn’t responsible enough to turn down peer pressure and could easily be talked into doing crazy things. In addition to not turning down peer pressure, it is a big jump from being in a car with an adult during daylight hours to being in a car during both daylight and nighttime hours. This teenager has never been behind the wheel without an adult so why should they be allowed to drive such long hours right after obtaining their operator’s license? The law should remain t he same for 16 year olds as it is for 15 year olds, with the exception of not having to be accompanied by an adult. Since a teen can obtain a learner’s license at the age of 15, restrictions should lessen by an inch compared to the yard being given under current laws as the teen ages. In addition to the above statements, the most recent data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data

Starting Right Corporation free essay sample

The consideration must not be past. Re McArdle (1951) Ch 669 Majorie McArdle carried out certain improvements and repairs on a bungalow. The bungalow formed part of the estate of her husbands father who had died living the property to his wife for life and then on trust for Majories husband and his four siblings. After the work had been carried out the brothers and sisters signed a document stating in consideration of you carrying out the repairs we agree that the executors pay you ? 480 from the proceeds of sale. However, the payment was never made. Held: The promise to make payment came after the consideration had been performed therefore the promise to make payment was not binding. Past consideration is not valid. 2. The consideration must be sufficient but need not be adequate. Lampleigh v Braithwaite [1615] EWHC KB J17 The defendant had killed a man and was due to be hung for murder. He asked the claimant to do everything in his power to obtain a pardon from the King. The claimant went to great efforts and managed to get the pardon requested. The defendant then promised to pay him ? 100 for his efforts but never paid up. Held:Whilst the promise to make payment came after the performance and was thus past consideration, the consideration was proceeded by a request from the defendant which meant the consideration was valid. The defendant was obliged to pay the claimant ? 100. 3. The consideration must move from the promisee. Tweddle v Atkinson [1861] EWHC QB J57 Queens Bench Division A couple were getting married. The father of the bride entered an agreement with the father of the groom that they would each pay the couple a sum of money. The father of the bride died without having paid. The father of the son also died so was unable to sue on the agreement. The groom made a claim against the executor of the will. Held:The claim failed: The groom was not party to the agreement and the consideration did not move from him. Therefore he was not entitled to enforce the contract. 4. An existing public duty will not amount to valid consideration. Collins v Godefrey (1831) 1 B amp; Ad 950 Kings Bench Division The claimant, Collins, had been subpoenaed to attend court as a witness in separate court case involving the defendant, Godefrey. Godefrey had sued his attorney for alpractice and Collins was required by the court to attend as an expert witness. In fact Collins never gave evidence but was required to be on standby for six days in case he was called. After the trial Collins gave Godefrey an invoice to cover his time spent at court and demanded payment by the next day. Without giving him the full day to pay, Collins commenced an action to enforce payment. Held: Collins wa s under a public duty to attend court due to the subpoena. Where there exists an existing public duty this can not be used as consideration for a new promise. Godefrey was not required to pay him. 5. An existing contractual duty will not amount to valid consideration. Stilk v Myrick [1809] EWHC KB J58 Kings Bench Division The claimant was a seaman on a voyage from London to the Baltic and back. He was to be paid ? 5 per month. During the voyage two of the 12 crew deserted. The captain promised the remaining crew members that if they worked the ship undermanned as it was back to London he would divide the wages due to the deserters between them. The claimant agreed. The captain never made the extra payment promised. Held: The claimant was under an existing duty to work the ship back to London and undertook to submit to all the emergencies that entailed. Therefore he had not provided any consideration for the promise for extra money. Consequently he was entitled to nothing. Requirement of contract Consideration: Value given in return for a promise. However, a court will generally not inquire into whether or not a particular form of consideration is sufficient. So, if you decide to sell your house for $50, and after the deal is done, realize youve made a horrible mistake, you cant go to court and argue that the sale is invalid, because there was no consideration. The fact that $50 is an absurdly low price for any house is irrelevant, as long as you agreed to the sale freely. The requirement for consideration is why you will sometimes hear of very expensive items being sold for very small amounts of money, such as a house or car being sold for $1. These transactions are essentially gifts, but the token consideration is there to ensure that the agreement is legally binding, in case the donor tries to back out. By making the agreement legally binding, the donor shows good faith. However, if there is a breach of a promise supported by consideration, the victim of the breach has suffered a loss, especially if they have already performed their end of the agreement, and are now getting nothing in return. Offer and acceptance An offer is an expression of willingness to contract on certain terms, made with the the intention that it shall become binding as soon as it is accepted by the person to whom it is addressed, the offeree [G. H. Tretel, The Law of Contract, 10th edn, p. 8]. The expression referred to in the definition may take different forms, such as a letter, newspaper, fax, email and even conduct, as long as it it communicates the basis on which the offeror is prepared to contract. An invitation to treat is not an offer, but an indication of a persons willingness to negotiate a contract. In Harvey v Facey, an indication by the owner of property that he or she might be interested in selling at a certain price, for example, has been regarded as an invitation to treat. The courts have tended to take a consistent approach to the identification of invitiations to treat, as compared with offer and acceptance, in common transacions. The display of goods for sale, whether in a shop window or on the shelves of a self-service store, is ordinarily treated as an invitation to treat and not an offer. The holding of a public auction will also usually be regarded as an invitation to treat. Postal acceptance rule As a rule of convenience, if the offer is accepted by post, the contract comes into existence at the moment that the acceptance was posted. This rule only applies when, impliedly or explicitly, the parties have in contemplation post as a means of acceptance. It excludes contracts involving land, letters incorrectly addressed and instantaneous modes of communication. 0ffer an offer made in response to a previous offer by the other party during negotiations for a final contract. Making a counter offer automatically rejects the prior offer, and requires an acceptance under the terms of the counter offer or there is no contract. Example: Susan Seller offers to sell her house for $150,000, to be paid in 60 days; Bruce Buyer receives the offer and gives Seller a counter offer of $140,000, payable in 45 days. terminate and discharge of contract (frustraction) Discharge of a valid contract involves the process under which the primary (performance) obligations come to an end. Discharge by breach will generally give rise to secondary obligations to pay damages. Discharge by performance will not give rise to secondary obligations, as the contract will have been successfully completed. Discharge by frustration does not give rise to secondary obligations but rights to restitution under statute. Discharge of a valid contract should be distinguished from termination of an invalid contract, as with Mistake amp; Restraint of Trade where the agreement is deemed to be void. In such instances no obligations can be aid to have existed whereas in the case of a valid contract the primary obligations cease but the contract may remain in existence and give rise to the secondary obligations to pay damages.

Network effect free essay sample

Network effect is seen as a phenomenon where a network service (SNS or PNS) becomes more valuable as the number of users increase. This phenomenon encourages continually increasing membership within the network. This can happen when a user adopts a network service initially to connect with current users, or later, when â€Å"everyone† is using the network service. Although there may be a larger increase in new membership for SNS’s, it is stated throughout the LinkedIn case that new membership for PNS’s is likely to be more valuable to users because of the nature of the connection. Many people will not want to change PNS’s because they will lose their multiple connections already created (Yoffie et al. , 2009). The case examines the likelihood of SNS’s overlapping and taking over PNS’s. This outcome seems unlikely. By examining Exhibit 6 (Yoffie et al. , 2009, p. 16), the correlation among factors such as age, income, college education, and position within an organization sets LinkedIn squarely within its target market. We will write a custom essay sample on Network effect or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Also, Yoffie et al. indicates the distinct uses of professional and social apps on Facebook. The multitude of users who use social apps vs. lower use of professional apps shows that Facebook users are less likely to make their profiles into professional networking tools, leaving PNS’s like LinkedIn for leveraging their professional careers (Author, p. 14). Question #2 Emerging companies need to generate new dynamics that are modernized, innovative, and easily adaptive to survive in this world. The new dynamics should be economically viable for the industry because they affect issues of whether to pursue a build or a buy approach to expand globally. LinkedIn Corporation, a PNS, is used by professionals globally to interact professionally. Uses include recruiting, getting expert advice, group collaboration, and more. Differentiating strategies were adopted by LinkedIn in order to separate itself from competition and answer the uestion of whether to utilize a build or buy approach. A build approach involves both monetary and other resource investments from the company. For LinkedIn, Investments in certain professional apps such as conference calendar, a tool used to indicate when certain conferences will be coming up, and which of a user’s connections will be attending, are examples of utilizing the build approach. The buying approach is where the company buys/merges with an existing SNS/PNS and integrates it within the existing systems. Although this expands a company, it constrains the ability of a company to customize the existing network with its own. Therefore, a company amp; its procedures need to adapt to the technology it buys. If they use a build approach, the company can build to their own specifications differentiating itself from existing networks (No Quote, Does not answer question). Question #3 LinkedIn’s strategy is straight to the point, be the best in the market of professional networking services (PNS). By focusing on providing a â€Å"virtual platform for professional interaction† (Yoffie et al. , 2009, p. 2), LinkedIn would provide various productive services to its users. Services provided include professional search, reference checking, recruiting, advice search, job searching amp; posting, and workgroup collaboration, which were successful because they allowed their users to become more effective in their professional careers. Also, its success was accounted for being involved with countless industries, rather than focusing on a specific industry like other PNS providers. Within its strategy, LinkedIn encompassed three premises which attributed to LinkedIn being the best in PNS, â€Å"remain a strongly differentiated category from SNS,† â€Å"maintain a hold on professional users for reasons both positive and negative,† and â€Å" embrace establishments rather than fight them† (Yoffie et al. , 2009, p. 3). LinkedIn’s success strongly accounts for maintaining a quality PNS by providing a productive atmosphere, which involves being separated from SNS. It is important for LinkedIn to remain separate from SNS capabilities in order to maintain its high PNS quality and core values. The risk of inheriting this strategy’s premise involves losing the users that want a network that hosts both professional and social networking capabilities. LinkedIn could potentially lose users to SNS businesses, like Facebook, who are starting to provide PNS services in its SNS atmosphere. In the second premise for its strategy, holding its users for positive and negative reasons also brings both success and risk. The positivity hold, having users create positive professional identity, is a success because it is a competitive advantage over SNS providers who only provide social identity or cannot separate the two. But holding onto its users for negative reasons promotes the similar risk as mentioned in the first premise. When users think to switch from LinkedIn to a SNS that provides both SNS and PNS capabilities, LinkedIn banks on the fact that they believe users would not put losing its contacts in jeopardy. This negative hold on LinkedIn users is a risk because it is quite possible that sooner or later SNS companies that promote both PNS and SNS capabilities will also have relatively the same contacts as LinkedIn. It is risky to assume that LinkedIn can keep users based on the premise of this assumption. Lastly, the third premise for its strategy brings on success. Having companies embrace the concept of LinkedIn in the end creates more users. LinkedIn is designed so that professionals will be more productive and more effective in their careers. If LinkedIn does eventually provide SNS qualities in its service, this could pose as a risk. Companies might not want to promote a network that could waste work time with their employees playing games and spending time on personal social interaction on the network. Therefore, companies would end up fighting LinkedIn. LinkedIn has always incorporated a control over its network as part of its strategy. Keeping out non-professional information and photos helps keep the quality of its PNS professional and on top. It also embeds value propositions for its professional users as well as its corporate users which revolve around a simple user interface. Although this is what maintains its quality’s success, it also brings a risk by shying away companies who do not want to be part of a network that they cannot control. Lastly, LinkedIn is successful because of its strategy of how to obtain its revenues. Its five sources of revenue include advertising, subscriptions, job postings, corporate solutions, and primary research that evenly contribute to its earnings. If one of the sources does not do as well as expected, LinkedIn has the other four methods to rely on. Question #4 Companies implement strategies to achieve a target or reach a goal that may e becoming the market leader of the industry, increasing profits by a certain percent, or even attracting new members to use a professional network service. As mentioned in the second week of classes, a company may choose one of the four Porter’s generic strategies that include differentiation, overall cost leadership, focus differentiation, and focus low cost to achieve competitive advantage (Kumar, 2010, p. 24). LinkedIn’s strategy is a focus differentiation since it was first founded, and its strategy has helped the company to become a leader in the PNS market. The differentiation strategy involves constant innovation and providing users with what they need and want in a new or better manner than what competitors can provide. Therefore, LinkedIn and many companies in other industries may ward off its competitors through innovation, quality, and reputation although overlapping products may be present. While Facebook may present threats to LinkedIn with the intent to blur the distinction between SNSs and PNSs, LinkedIn would still maintain a competitive advantage in the PNSs. LinkedIn has always focused on differentiating itself in the PNSs by providing users a different degree of privacy, standards, and quality tools to â€Å"†¦find job candidates for position in their company, to reach out to experts around the world in order to get advice and  make better decisions† (Yoffie et al. , 2009, p. 4). LinkedIn differentiates from Facebook and other SNSs not only on the type of service that is provided, but also on the value it adds to the professional identity of each user, and the reputation it maintains. SNSs such as Facebook and MySpace may be very popular and well known around the world for the types of applications available, the connectivity advantages, and the numbers of users within the network. However, the SNSs have presented privacy issues as well as reputation issues. As mentioned in class by Professor Kumar and Mehdizadeh (2010) in her article, SNSs provide a self-presentation characteristic of low self-esteem and high narcissism users. Alternately, LinkedIn targets a long-term goal in the attempt to create a different type of environment, a â€Å"professional ecosystem† with the addition of applications and modules to help users increase efficiency in their work and portray the professional self. The existence or emergence of other PNSs would increase competition for LinkedIn; however, LinkedIn already has a well-established professional networks composed of top executives, CEOs/CFOs, and other important professionals that attract individuals who seek advice or just the possibility to connecting professionally. LinkedIn’s users may have difficulty and a cost to switch networks, but they also find value in the services available. The continuous promotion of the benefits that can be obtained and the innovation of new modules such as LinkedIn news and customizable settings will help the company ward off competitors. Question #5 Question # 5a The distinction between social and professional is clear. This distinction likens LinkedIn to the Wall Street Journal â„ ¢, and SNS’s to publications like Peopleâ„ ¢, indicating that creating a more social aspect to LinkedIn will depart from the needs and wants of their target market. The expansion by Facebook into an open platform allowed third parties to develop social apps and created a â€Å"viral [spread]† across the network. Hoffman (Yoffie et al. , 2009, p. 7) stated that he wanted to prevent this within the LinkedIn network, instead insisting on stringent protocols and reviews of all new apps, so as to provide professionals with â€Å". . . the right sort of tools to interact with their network. † Maintaining a walled garden, as opposed to an open platform, is critical to continuing LinkedIns success. Like stated before, its strategy is based around being the best PNS in the industry. Users flock to this website because of how LinkedIn keeps the network professional, promotes productivity, and enables users to advance their careers success. Keeping this prestige will conserve LinkedIn’s quality and continue to attract its target market, professional users. Question # 5b LinkedIn should not broaden the scope to include elements of social networking. LinkedIn began and still operates since 2003 as a PNS. This strategy has allowed it to flourish, generating a customer base of 75 million users spreading around 200 countries, which includes professionals from all fortune 500 companies (Yoffie et al. 2009). This growth can be attributed to its departure from obtaining the majority of its revenues from advertising, like SNS’s, and creating a focused concept that does not necessarily remove innovation within the network, but instead indicates a policy of professionalism throughout with the controlled inception of professional applications. Different from SNS, of which the majority of revenue is from advertising, LinkedIn has framed its revenue model on five sources: (1) Advertising, (2) Subscriptions, (3) Job Postings, (4) Corporate Solutions, and (5) Primary Research. Steve Sordello, CFO for LinkedIn, stated â€Å"This model gives us a lot of sustainability, even if one of those revenue streams doesn’t succeed as we expect, we have others† (Yoffie et al. , 2009, p. 6). In order to sustain a competitive advantage, in 2007, LinkedIn change a policy to accommodate users who wished to upload a single professional head shot for identification. In 2008, LinkedIn launched a product called Company Groups that brought all LinkedIn users who worked for an organization into a closed forum which provides a collected, protected space for employees to talk to each other, as a part of application program interfaces (API). Other launches included Conference Calendar, as stated above (Yoffie et al. , 2009). Question # 5c LinkedIn has created a successful user base in foreign countries. This growth is attributed to LinkedIn’s concept of build not buy, using an organic growth model, giving it a competitive advantage over its main foreign rival Xing. This advantage is through LinkedIn’s ability to control segments of its business outside the U. S. , separate from Xing who buys outside networks limiting its control, in addition to Nye’s observation that â€Å"being in English first† is an advantage.