Educational Program on Tobacco Abuse and Addiction Essay Example for Free

Educational Program on Tobacco Abuse and Addiction Essay Tobacco is a farming produce that is used for smoking through the form of a cigarette. It normally contains nicotine as well as harmane. Tobacco causes so many diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and lung diseases. Generally tobacco is smoked, sucked, chewed and snuffed. They contain a very high addictive psychoactive ingredient called nicotine. Tobacco is even worse compared to other drugs. Nicotine is also a very addictive substance clearly known by man and it is very strong and acts very fast. Nicotine is a drug which has many different effects within the body and it stimulates one’s system, even if it makes one feel more relaxed. Nicotine also affects the chemicals in the brain and immediately after the puff one begins to feel high for a second and that is the reason why so many smokers look at smoking as stress relief since they are under pressure. Nevertheless, the program is designed purposely to motivate and educate teenagers and young adults between ages 23-30 the major effects one experiences after tobacco abuse. The program will address the effects of tobacco abuse and it is aimed at increasing the adult’s knowledge of the major effects of tobacco use. The adults between 23 years and 30 years will experience so many activities that will permit them to keep away from using tobacco. During the presentation, all the aforementioned adults will be able to know the effects of nicotine and alcohol cancer being one of them. On the other hand, nicotine tends to cause short-term chances of high blood pressure, heart rate, as well as the flow of the blood right from the heart. Carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen that the blood carries. The long term effects of smoking causes persistent lung disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke, with cancer of the larynx, lungs, mouth, esophagus and bladder. It goes ahead and forms cancer, cervix and the kidneys. The educational program is going to address all this effects of tobacco such that all the adults will be aware and stop taking tobacco.

The Furniture Company Spark Furniture Marketing Essay

The Furniture Company Spark Furniture Marketing Essay Introduction This report is based on the furniture company Spark Furniture. This report helps us to assess the current strategy of our enterprise using internal and external analysis. External analysis of spark furniture will identify major factors affecting the industry in which it is operating and to relate its opportunities and capabilities. PESTEL, Michael Porters Five Forces framework and SWOT helps to examine the strategy of spark furniture. Company overview Spark furniture emerged by taking over a small enterprise dealing with furniture groups operating from couple of years. It went with a unique strategy of cost leadership. Its products are Bed, Sofa, Dining table, and Coffee table. It has the third highest market share in overall market segment. The company is well s and known for its lower unit cost and offers lower price than competitors. Strategy Strategic management is defined as The art and science of formulating, Implementing, and Evaluating cross functional decisions that enable an organization to achieve objectives. (Fred, 1999) The strategic position is concerned with the impact on strategy of the external environment, an organizations strategic capability (resources and competences) and the expectations and influence of stakeholders (Johnson et al., 2008). Strategy is the pattern or plan that integrates an Organizations major goals, Policies, and action sequence into cohesive whole (Henry et al., 2003). Goals: States what is to be achieved and when results are to be accomplished, But they do not state how the result are to be achieved. Major goals those that effect the entitys overall direction and viability are called strategic goals (Henry et al., 2003). Policies: policies are rules that express the limit within which organization action should occur. These rules always take the form of contingent decisions for resolving conflicts among specific objective. (Henry et al., 2003) The strong strategic position is an indicator of high profitability and growth. The strategic position of Spark Furniture can be understood by carrying out different analysis on its external and internal environmental factors, and understanding its capabilities. External environmental analysis The different layers of environment that affect the market trends can be classified as macro-environment, Industry, competitors and markets. The analysis of these layers will give a better understanding of factors affecting the performance of Spark Furniture. (Refer Appendix A) PESTEL In analyzing the macro-environment, it is important to identify the factors that might affect a number of essential variables that are likely to influence the organizations supply and demand levels and its costs. (Henry et al., 2003) The Pestle Analysis is used to analyze the factors prevailing in macro-environment which may or may not influence the business, but knowing them and understanding them will help in overcoming uncertainty. (Refer Appendix B) Political Factors: Government regulations like taxation, labor policy, and excise duties issues may be a threat, as these policies will change with the change in government. Recently increase in VAT by 20% led our sales to decrease we are trying to cut down prices and provide customers with their requirements with a reasonable and effective fair price keeping in mind both companies and customer interest. This would help Spark furniture to increase its sale. Recession also affected the companys market share. It reduced peoples earning and spending capacity. Environmental Factors: Furniture industry has a number of environmental impacts that are caused by humans. The emergence of environmental concern as one of the critical factors in strategic business planning indicates the growth of environmental movement in the market place (Menon et al., 1999). Spark furniture focuses on furniture reuse, Environmental disposal green transport and recycling the products which cannot be repaired. This becomes advantage to some extent as it is able to reach the people easily with eco-friendly sense. Social Factors: These refer to what is taking place socially in the markets in which it operate or expect to operate like cultural norms, Population growth rate, Age distribution, Global warming(Due to cutting down of trees). The changes in life style of the people and attitudes to work and leisure also persuade market share. Sometimes strikes affect the market share. In Spark furniture there was a transport strike as the labour union and the employers have not reached a new collective labour agreement. For this reason during 6th period only 70% of goods are delivered and during 7th period no goods are delivered because of which company has to suffer a share loss of -0.17%.(Refer Appendix C) Technical Factors: Change in trend throws a challenge in providing customers with latest trend in the market. But on the other hand this gives an opportunity to be a leader in the market if the trend is grabbed by using latest technology and brought it to customers. These factors can affect the cost, Quality and may lead to innovation. For example, development of online shopping is well established in the market and upgrading the manufacturing process will yield to high quality products. Economic Factors: Economic factors affect industries are Access to credit, Demand for goods, and Technological advancement. The main economic threat would be existing competitors in the market. Company had a loan of  £150,000.00. Interest rate may go up due to inflation in the market this could affect the supply chain due to shift in the cash flows. Spark furniture has successfully sold its entire inventory from last 6 periods at the cheapest price possible apart from its competitors. Legal factors: Spark furniture follows the rules and maintains the specific standards set by the law, so that there is no difference of interest. These factors can affect how a company operates, its costs, and the demand for its products. Also, as it is taken over an existing business, all the legal documentation must be verified thoroughly. Limitations of Pestle Analysis: As the external environment is changing constantly, PESTLE analysis should be done on the current market situations (Cambell et al., 2002). It is also essential to analyze the level to which PESTEL is applied. When considering companies such as Apple, Samsung, PepsiCo, Volvo and Disney it is important to consider that they have many different parts to their overall business they include many different divisions and in some cases many different brands. Porters five forces model Porters five forces is a framework for the industry analysis and business strategy development developed by Michael E. Porter in 1979. It draws upon economics of industries to derive five forces that determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of a market. (Refer Appendix D) SWOT analysis An analysis of strengths weakness and opportunities threats has been drawn for Spark Furniture. (Refer Appendix E) SWOT analysis of Spark indicates where the company is good at and the areas of improvement. It helps as a planning tool to evaluate its strategic position and to relate it to its competitors (Basu, 2009). Stakeholder Mapping Stakeholder Map shows relationship of stakeholder individuals and groups to one another and finds out the role which each entity is playing. It also shows how an organisational environment must be navigated for successful implementation of change (Berkhout, 2002). Stakeholder Map of Spark Furniture is shown in Appendix F. Strategic group analysis Strategic groups are organisations within an industry with similar strategic characteristics, following similar strategies or competing on similar bases (Johnson et al., 2009). Strategic group analysis can be useful for the following: Understanding competition Deciding a Strategy In the Furniture sales world there exist many companies that try to be the market leaders by maximising their profits and expanding their market share. Spark Furniture is accompanied by other competitors like Leaf furnishing and Green furnishing. The identical strategies like cost leadership, differentiation, focus or stuck in the middle could be followed by these companies because most of the furniture companies deal in common products like the Bed, Sofa, Dining table and Coffee table. Entry of new competitors in the market increases the competition. Availability of more attractive and cheaper versions of products and services will always makes Spark Furniture to upgrade the technology which could increase the research cost. Down fall in the economy could result in the decrease of demand for furniture goods which could affect the overall demand and market share. Strategic capabilities According to Johnson Scholes (2009) strategic capability can be defined as the resources and competences of an organization needed for it to survive and prosper. These capabilities differ from organisation to organisation. Examples of capabilities are logistics, frugal systems etc. Having these capabilities differentiates them from others in achieving a better market share. Strategic capabilities are combination of Threshold resources, threshold competences, unique resources and core competences. Threshold resources: Threshold resources of Spark Furniture are its ability to provide a wide range of choices and offers to consumers at a low price than its competitors backed up by its product quality. Threshold competences: Threshold competences are the processes to be followed, to meet the requirements of customers. For Spark Furniture their aim is to provide products at an low price while keeping the standard quality. Unique resources: The unique resources are unique techniques that help in knowing the drivers of competitive advantage. The unique prices and exhibition of products by Spark Furniture help them to reach a wide range of customers like people who could not spare more money for shopping. Core competence: Core competence for Spark Furniture is its growth strategy of Cost Leadership which helps in offering unique attributes valued by customers for a low price, and perceived to be better than that of competitors. This allows the enterprise to achieve leadership in market and long term sustainability. Diagnosing strategic capability The strengths and weakness of organisation can be identified by analysing their strategic capability: Strengths: Spark offer benefits to valued customers. As a Furniture company, the unique marketing techniques backed up by the inbound and outbound logistics helps them to maintain the uninterrupted supply of products to the customers thus helps in providing qualitative services and products at affordable cost. Weaknesses: Targeting only a particular market segment of people by proving products at low prices could slow down the growth of the company from emerging markets. Evaluation of current strategies of Spark Furniture The strategy adopted by Spark Furniture is based on the generic strategies of Porter and that of Growth Strategy (Ansoff). That is the Cost Leadership and Market Penetration Strategies. The following analysis shows how the decisions undertaken affect the market share of Spark Furniture and its impact on its income and growth. (Refer appendix G) Cost Leadership: The strategy of Cost Leadership helps the way Spark Furniture operate as they tend to target to provide their customers with a good quality products at a very low price than its competitors which helps them to perceive better than their competitors. Market Penetration: This strategy of growth has been adopted by the company to introduce existing products in existing markets in an attempt to leverage the companys brand name. This could enable the company to create a broader customer base. The impact of the above decisions can be known by looking at the market share they are able to take part of the competitors market share and by finding new customers or by getting current customers to use more products. It is considered a low risk method to grow business. Strategic clock The model of strategic clock has been adapted from Cliff Bowman. Strategic clock shows the different positions in a given market where customers have various needs in terms of price (Johnson et al., 2009). By using this model we can study the competitive advantage of Spark Furniture. Bowmans strategy helps us to find out the companys competitive status by using some strategic options. These options are the No Frills, Low Price, Hybrid, Focus and differentiation. Of the various strategic options Spark Furniture had opted for Low Price that is where the company seeks to achieve a lower price than its competitors at the same time providing similar benefits and quality as their competitors. (Refer Appendix H) The reason for the company to adapt a strategy like Low Price is that it could target the people that are most interested in Low price products. As result of the above strategy the concept of Cost Leadership will also be achieved so that control over the price elasticity of the goods sold can be achieved. Competitive advantage The main competition for Spark Furniture is from Leaf Furnishing and Green Furnishing for the leadership in market share and growth. This is making the market segment competition more severe. As a result of the Cost Leadership strategy adopted by Spark Furniture, they are enjoying a healthy market share which is reflected in the rising growth of their market share considerably and as a result the inventory turnover is good and which in turn increased their income. (Refer Appendix I) Sustainability of spark furniture Sustainability of Spark furniture can be explained by analysing the key areas in its organisational growth. The main strategic decision of Cost Leadership helps the company to retain their own customer base which in turn helps in achieving a steady share in market for a long time. Its policy is to provide good quality goods at an affordable price due to its innovative price strategy. This helps the company to maintain its aim of providing products at lower prices than its competitors and thus increasing its brand value. The main costs that could occur for Spark could be, in its education level in order to build up its innovation areas to provide more quality products and still been able to maintain low price. It also needs to spend a bit on Human Resource areas in order to keeps its staff happy and retain their loyalty for a better future as the loyalty of employees is not looking great at the moment which could affect the quality.(Refer Appendix G) From customers perspective Spark Furniture could sustain in the future as long as it can give customers the quality products at a lower prices than its competitors and by doing so it can maintain its brand value and image which could help the company to grow more heights. The other factors that could threaten Spark Furniture sustainability like their slow growth in innovations which could bring down quality of products and thus affecting its market share and need to improve its HR area in order to be more affective in their customer service. Though the company is having a consistent income there is a need to increase its income growth by increasing the sales income of the income which at the moment is bit low. (Refer Appendix G) Conclusion By examining the strategies implemented by spark furniture it seems like they adopted a strategy which suits them. However, they need to be aware of the internal and external environment which changes continuously and the company needs to be ready to adopt a different kind of strategy that could be appropriate for the situation for retaining and increasing their market share. Works Cited Basu, R., 2009. Implementing Six Sigma and Lean: a practical guide to tools and techniques. 1st ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinenmann. Berkhout, M., 2002. Service support. Norwich: TSO. Cambell, D., Stonehouse, G. Houston, B., 2002. Business Strategy. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann. Edu-Finntrack, 2010. Edu-Finntrack. [Online] Available at: http://courseware.finntrack.eu/learners/strat_mgnt.htm [Accessed 14 March 2011]. Fred, R.D., 1999. Strategic Managment. New jersey: Prentice Hall. Henry, M., Joseph, L., James, B.Q. Sumantra, G., 2003. The Strategy Process. New Jersey: fourth. Johnson, G., Scholes, K. Whington, R., 2009. Fundamentals of strategy. spain: Prentice Hall. Johnson, k., Scholes, k. Wittington, R., 2008. Exploring corporate strategy. Italy: Prentice Hall. ktnrchobby, 2011. ktnrchobby.com. [Online] Available at: www.ktnrchobby.com [Accessed 2011 March 15]. marketingteacher.com, 2011. Marketingteacher.com. [Online] Available at: http://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-bowman.html [Accessed 15 March 2011]. Menon, A., Chowdhury, J. Jankovich, J., 1999. Evolving paradigm for environmental senstivity in marketing programs : a syenthsis of theory and practice. Journal of marketing theory and practice, pp.1-15. Porter, M.E., 2008. The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review.

Owain Lawgoch :: European History

Owain Lawgoch Llywelyn Fawr (Llywelyn the Great) was the father of two ambitious sons, both of whom were destined to become intertwined in the 13th-century dynastic struggles between Wales and England. Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was his father's natural son and the eldest, while Dafydd was the son of Llywelyn's wife Joan, herself the natural daughter of King John. Both sons were apparently determined to succeed their father and carry forward the country's struggle against their Norman would-be conquerors. At Llywelyn's death in 1240, contrary Welsh law and custom, Gwynedd passed to his legitimate son Dafydd, rather than being divided equally between Dafydd and his brother Gruffydd. It is thought that Llywelyn saw the practice of divided inheritance as a threat to the survival of Gwynedd, and he took extraordinary measures to ensure that Dafydd was recognized as his sole heir. As a consequence, Gruffydd spent much his life as a prisoner of his father, then his brother and later the English king, until his tragic death during an attempted escape from the Tower of London in 1244 (shown right). Despite Llywelyn's precautions, Dafydd's reign was tragically short and he died without heirs in 1246. Soon most of Wales was back under the control of the English king and his barons. Despite this tremendous setback, in less than 10 years Gruffydd's son Llywelyn, known to history as Llywelyn the Last, had managed to reclaim the dynasty of Gwynedd, gaining unprecedented recognition as "Prince of Wales" before his tragic downfall and death in 1282. With his death, and the death of his older brother Owain the same year, and his younger brother Dafydd the following year, the House of Gwynedd ended almost 500 years of rule over most of northern Wales. The princely line of Gwynedd had finally run out, extinguished forever by the ruthless King Edward I. Or had it? Little remembered is Llywelyn's youngest brother Rhodri ap Gruffydd. He apparently played no part in the dynastic struggles of the 13th century, and lived most of his life in relative obscurity and peace outside Wales, reportedly dying on his English manor c1315. Yet it was one of his descendants who was destined to make Gwynedd's final claim to the title "Prince of Wales." That person was Rhodri's grandson, Owain Lawgoch. Owain ap Thomas ap Rhodri, known to history as Owain Lawgoch (Owain of the red hand) and to the French as Yvain de Galles, like his father, was born and grew up in England and had no direct associations with Wales.

Eminem and Urban Nightmare :: essays research papers

Alex Radovanovic uses some very successful persuasive writing in his article Eminem: an urban nightmare. He represents his views vividly with acute detail of his point of view on the issues. His main contention in the article is that Eminem the more he is ignored will not go away and the issues of violence, racism and sexism will fester in the minds of our youths. Alex’s opinion of Eminem songs and lyrics are as he refers to ‘make me uncomfortable – some of them are downright repulsive†. This use of strong persuasive language portrays to the reader that he thinks Eminem is not someone to be admired and that his lyrics are not peaceful but despicable and unacceptable. Examining the phrase â€Å"downright repulsive†, you really understand the intent of his words to make the reader see through Eminem as just a Rapper to the hate filled mind of a disturbed person. He obviously does not like Eminem or appreciate his music for any purposes. Eminem’s singing as Alex describes as a â€Å"schizophrenic rant† relates to Eminems own confusion with his personality. I think Radovanovic is trying to persuade the reader that Eminems singing is away of portraying his deeper emotions about his upbringing and life. It also elaborates into the use of his offensive swearing and obscene language about the discrimination of homosexuals and women. Analysing the phrase â€Å"A lot of kids are being bombarded by a plethora of conflicting messages†, you come to understand the ingeniousness of the writer’s ability to captivate the reader in imagining kids being swamped with numerous messages. It is a very good piece of persuasive writing because it influences the audience to believe something must be done right away and educate

Stories and a White Man: An Open Letter to My Navaho Students :: Essays Papers

Stories and a White Man: An Open Letter to My Navaho Students Some of your Elders encourage you to leave the university and return to the reservation. They tell you that the university is not for you. I respect your Elders because I understand that they wish the best for you, but I cannot agree with them. Come here. Let's share a place together, here on this page, as real as Second Mesa where the wind makes its own stories and all of us must listen to the language of Crow in order to find our way home. Right now let's share a place where we wait trustingly and where storytellers are never victims because they have their stories to protect them. Let our moment together be a home of stories, and let us agree to live in a world where such a place as this one exists. My Uncle Mace was Native American. I'm not sure what nation he came from, but I understand it was one of those "civilized" tribes because unlike the Apache they did not tell jokes that ended with "White men are stupid." So White men called them "civilized." Uncle Mace told me stories. He would start with, "Now, everything I tell you is true." Then he would tell me something confusing and crazy and wonderful, something about bears or ants or giants. Some of his favorite stories were about a race of great ones who were men but did things men could not do. Anyway, I believed they were true stories, and I have to admit that I probably still do. There's a place in me where Uncle Mace still lives. My great grandfather used to take me along when he went to visit sick animals. He was a homemade veterinarian, and the farmers loved him because they never got around to paying him. His specialty was to cure bloated cattle. He would walk up beside the animal and stick a knife into its belly. Anyway, he always drank whisky as we drove along, and he always made up songs. He had a voice filtered through gravel and tar, but the songs were stories, and I believed them like the stories of my Uncle Mace. One song went something like this: When I was a young man I had long green pants. I wore them all day but they were full of ants. Sometimes at night I would wonder how he was able to get along with his green-ant pants.

History of Bangladesh

The  history of  Bangladesh  as a  nation state  began in 1971, when it seceded from  Pakistan. Prior to the creation of Pakistan in 1947, modern-day Bangladesh was part of  ancient,  classical,  medieval  and  colonial  India. The area's early history featured a succession of  Indian empires, internal squabbling, and a tussle between  Hinduism  and  Buddhism  for dominance. Islammade its first appearance between the 8th-10th centuries when Muslim missionaries arrived. Later, Muslim rulers reinforced the process of conversion by building  mosques,  madrassas  and Sufi  Khanqah.The borders of present-day Bangladesh were established with the  partition of Bengal  and  India  in 1947, when the region became  East Pakistan, part of the newly formed  Islamic State  of  Pakistan. However, it was separated from the  western wing  by 1,600  km (994  mi) of Indian territory. Due to political exclusion, ethnic and linguistic dis crimination, as well as economic neglect by the politically dominant West Pakistan, popular agitation led by  Sheikh Mujibur Rahman grew against  West Pakistan, resulting in the  Bangladesh Liberation War  of 1971, which the  Bengali people  won with the support of India.After independence, the new state endured  famine,  natural disasters  and  widespread poverty, as well as political turmoil and  military coups. The restoration of democracy in 1991 has been followed by relative calm and economic progress. The Bengali Language Movement The  Bengali Language Movement, also known as the  Language Movement  Bhasha Andolon, was a political effort in  Bangladesh  (then known as  East Pakistan), advocating the recognition of the  Bengali language  as an  official language  of  Pakistan. Such recognition would allow Bengali to be used in government affairs.When the state of Pakistan was  formed  in 1947, its two regions, East Pakistan (also called  East Bengal) and  West Pakistan, were split along cultural, geographical, and linguistic lines. In 1948, the  Government of Pakistan  ordained  Urdu  as the sole national language, sparking extensive protests among the Bengali-speaking majority of East Pakistan. Facing rising sectarian tensions and mass discontent with the new law, the government outlawed public meetings and rallies. The students of the  University of Dhaka  and other political activists defied the law and organised a protest on 21 February 1952.The movement reached its climax when police killed student demonstrators on that day. The deaths provoked widespread civil unrest led by the  Awami Muslim League, later renamed the  Awami League. After years of conflict, the central government relented and granted official status to the Bengali language in 1956. In 2000,  UNESCO  declared 21 February  International Mother Language Day  for the whole world to celebrate,[7]  in tribute to the Language Movement and the ethno-linguistic rights of people around the world.The Language Movement catalysed the assertion of Bengali national identity in Pakistan, and became a forerunner to Bengali nationalist movements, including the  6-point movement  and subsequently the  Bangladesh Liberation War  in 1971. In Bangladesh, 21 February is observed asLanguage Movement Day, a national holiday. The  Shaheed Minar  monument was constructed near Dhaka Medical College in memory of the movement and its victims. ———————– The  History of  Bangladesh

How is happiness conveyed in Jane Austen’s Emma and Charlotte Bronte’s Villette?

The nineteenth century was an era of great discovery, invention and social change as a result of political unrest in the previous years. The American Revolution which culminated in the United States Declaration of Independence, lead to a change in political thought, bringing ideas of ‘Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness' (1776: line4), though how much this extended to women is debateable. Published thirty-seven years apart, Emma and Villette tell the stories of two girls trying to find happiness in difficult societies. The two lead characters are very different; Emma is a respected, wealthy and attractive young woman yet rather spoilt, whereas Lucy Snowe is passive and secretive, with no significant amount of money or family connections. Living in the same century, therefore, it would seem safe to assume that the girls would find happiness in the same things; good company, money and a happy marriage. As Philip Davis argues, Victorian novels (though Emma predates Victoria's reign by approximately twenty years) were concerned only with ‘Humanity, Duty, Vocation, Work, Marriage [and] Family' (2002:2). However, this is not the case for either of the girls. Lucy finds comfort in solitude and some of the passages in Bronte's novel where she is most at ease are those in which she is alone. If not alone, Lucy prefers the company of just one or two trusted friends, but even this is problematical, as she often hides her feelings from the reader. Emma on the other hand, appears to take pleasure in helping others to be happy; often to their detriment! What can be said, nonetheless, is that both novels convey moral journeys towards a greater understanding of self and society. By looking at a few specific incidents in each novel, the methods with which the authors explore the feeling of happiness can be uncovered. Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her (Emma p. 5). The opening sentence of Jane Austen's novel manages to summarise Emma's situation and history in a few simple words. The reader is already informed by the omniscient narrator that this central character is content and privileged in every aspect that a young lady could wish for. In comparison, Villette has a very different approach. For example, it is not until the second chapter that we find out the name of the protagonist and narrator, Lucy Snowe. Interesting to note also that the first two chapters are names of characters, ‘Bretton' and ‘Paulina', as if the narrator is happy to talk about them, but reluctant to talk about herself. We hear about the people surrounding the narrator, events in the past but very little physical or characteristic detail. We are given few clues as to how Lucy feels or thinks about these events; ‘well I liked the visit' (Villette p. 1) is the only indication of preference or opinion. Even by the end of the novel we do not know where her ‘home' was, and Lucy is constantly evasive about places and locations. The reader is left to speculate why this is; because of unhappiness there and desire to forget it? Or perhaps she is ashamed? It is almost as if she does not trust the reader and as a result becomes difficult to like. Most readers will assume that this past, of which Lucy is so vague, holds bad memories or experiences which set the tone of her character from the start. As a narrator, Lucy is unreliable and the revelation that Dr. John and Graham Bretton are, in fact, the same people, is the prime example of this. ‘I first recognized him on that occasion, noted several chapters back, when my unguardedly-fixed attention had drawn me on the mortification of an implied rebuke' (Villette p. 70-1). Only when the reader will find out for themselves, does Lucy tell us that she knew all along. ‘I had preferred to keep the matter to myself' she reasons, ‘I liked entering his presence covered with a cloud he had not seen through' (Villette p. 171). This motif of hiding, or being screened, recurs throughout the novel. Lucy is often seen observing or people watching, preferring to be out of the limelig ht. However, this changes when she is recruited to be in M. Paul's play after one of the lead characters falls ill. Nevertheless, she puts on a performance, a mask, and is not herself. The clothes she wears are men's and by speaking another person's lines, Lucy distances herself from that which makes her feel so uncomfortable, her own feelings. It seems as if she is afraid to admit to herself how she feels. By suppressing her emotions and living an almost muted life, Lucy denies herself happiness. This alienation is heightened by her being in Belgium, where she does not speak French initially, by being a Protestant in a Catholic society and through the atmosphere of the Mme. Beck's school. Despite working very closely with the headmistress, Lucy still finds her searching through her belongings one evening, showing a lack of trust between the characters. Lucy's narrative style shows a lot about her unhappiness as a character and surprisingly Emma shares some of these traits. Emma is told through a third-person omniscient narrator, whereas Lucy tells us the story through her own, if somewhat limited perspective. Austen's narrator gives us a wider outlook on the events at Highbury, although the free-indirect style means that the narrator's opinions are sometimes blurred with those of the characters and there is some mimicry of Emma's thoughts and tone. She is a more open character, whom the narrator can easily display to the reader, and her feelings are more easily accessible, on first impression. As Emma is already ‘handsome, clever and rich' (Emma p. 1), her happiness is taken for granted, but looking a little deeper it is evident that she is not fully content. The novel is based around a series of shocks for Emma; Miss Taylor's marriage, Mr. Elton's proposal, Frank and Jane's engagement, and she seems in a constant struggle to maintain a certain decorum and propriety. It is ironic that Jane Austen's novels are so often seen as portrayals of a stagnant society, when Highbury is full of entrances and exits; Mrs. Elton, Frank Churchill, Jane Fairfax and Harriet. The proximity to London, peculiarly, does not seem to have an effect on the community. Emma's constant need to help others could be interpreted as dissatisfaction within herself. Instead of realising her feelings for Mr. Knightly at the beginning of the novel, as so easily could have occurred, Emma goes through systematic pairing up of her acquaintances, to try and arrange as many couples as possible. It is only when Harriet confides in her regarding her own feelings for Knightly that Emma is forced to identify and realise her attachment to him. Because she demands a kind of variety and excitement life cannot supply, Emma allows her fancy and imagination to shape and distort her perception of reality [†¦. What Emma constantly desires and frequently demands is not simply that her world admire her; it must also be as rich and vital and beautiful as she feels herself potentially to be [†¦. ] The crux of the matter, then, is the peculiar way in which Emma's life depends upon and is dedicated to richness and beauty in human experience. (Minter 1966 : 51) Minter argues that Emma relies on this constant application of herself to try and adapt her surroundings to suit her. In doing this, Emma is attempting to create an environment in which she is truly comfortable; not a trait one would associate with a young lady of ‘happy disposition' (Emma p. ), but more with slightly nervous and compulsive behaviour. It is as if Emma must have control of the events around her to feel content. This shows a certain extent of self-consciousness and dissatisfaction, reflected most clearly in her thoughts of Jane Fairfax: Why she did not like Jane Fairfax might be a difficult question to answer; Mr Knightly had once told her it was because she saw in her the really accomplished young woman, which she wanted to be thought herself. (Emma p. 125) View in this manner, Emma becomes, in essence, a structured action in which Jane Austen renders both the nobility and the dangers, the significance and the consequences of Emma's endeavour to force an aesthetic ideal upon her world' (Minter 1966 : 51). As a character, Lucy Snowe is built up in a different way by Charlotte Bronte than Emma is by Jane Austen. By looking at their happiest and lowest points in each text, the reader has an insight into their extremes of emotion, and how these are created by the authors. Lucy characterises her weakest moments by images of storms and tempests. This occurs several times throughout the novel and blurs the situations which Lucy does not want the reader to know or understand fully, perhaps because she does not understand herself. This is first seen upon Lucy's departure from Bretton; ‘I must have somehow fallen overboard, or that there must have been wreck at last' (Villette p. 30). It is not certain whether Lucy actually embarks on a boat journey or whether she just uses this as an extended metaphor. Bronte adds the scream of the Banshee to symbolise the coming of bad news; Miss Marchmont dies and leaves Lucy with little money. However, the worst for Lucy personally is arguably the fall ‘headlong down an abyss' (Villette p. 160) after her visit to the church. She has been ill for a long while and her soul leaves her body ‘hoping to leave for rest (Villette p. 160). The reunion of the two is a particularly painful image, ‘a sort of racking struggle', ‘with pain, with reluctance' (Villette p. 161). Villette's final chapter is the most ambiguous sequence of the whole text, in which Lucy almost leaves the conclusion of the novel down to the reader. ‘Reader, they were the three happiest years of my life. Do you scout the paradox? Listen' (Villette p. 488), she appeals to us. Whether M. Paul is killed in a tempest on his return is not overtly stated, though the image of the storm again would imply that he does. If the past three years ‘were' the happiest, then it follows that these are now unhappy times. As with the beginning of the novel, Lucy finishes by telling us what happened to other characters, but not herself; ‘Madame Beck prospered all the days of her life; so did Pire Silas; Madame Walravens fulfilled her ninetieth year before she died. Farewell' (Villette p. 491). With a similar style of description and attitude, it is as if Lucy Snowe has come full circle; she is just as happy at the end of the novel, as at the start, or there seems no noticeable difference. Victor Hugo wrote in Les Miserables that ‘life's greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved' (1862) and it is this sentiment that gives Lucy the highest moment in Villette. She says that her love for M. Paul ‘gave me such pleasure as, certainly, I had ever felt' (Villette p. 403). Emma's happiest moment comes with similar thoughts on Mr. Knightley, but also a revelation about herself and her own actions; ‘How long had Mr. Knightley been so dear to her, as every feeling now declared him now to be? When had his influence, such influence begun? ‘ (Emma p. 312). This sequence comes with a long set of rhetorical questions in which Emma begins to see her flaws; perhaps this is the ultimate happiness for her? Mahatma Ghandi is often famously quoted as saying, ‘Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony'1 and this can be seen clearly in the closing chapters of Emma. Finally Emma is settled in herself; knows how she feels, is able to talk openly and does, of course, eventually marry Mr. Knightley. What totally different feelings did Emma take back into the house from what she had brought out! – she had then been only daring to hope for a little respite of suffering; – now in an exquisite flutter of happiness – and such happiness, moreover, as she believed must still be greater when the flutter should have passed away. (Emma p. 328) Emma's reaction is markedly different from Lucy's. Her language is more descriptive and appears fast, almost as if she cannot keep up with what her mind is thinking. The narrator here sounds just like the character of Emma, speaking rapidly with the use of many exclamation marks. Lucy falters, questions M. Paul's affections and seems unsure of the situation. ‘I was content', she states (Villette p. 403) compared to Emma's ‘state of spirits' (Emma p. 328). Emma's unfeeling comments to Miss Bates at the picnic however, paint her in a very different light; ‘†Ah! Ma'am, but there may be a difficulty. Pardon me – but you will be limited as to a number – only three at once†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ (Emma p. 280). This can be seen as Emma's most unkind and lowest moment in the text, ‘she had never been so depressed' (Emma p. 284) it is a necessary addition that makes her realise how badly she has behaved, although requiring a little help from Mr. Knightley. Throughout Emma and Villette, Austen and Bronte shape their main characters with the use of these dramatic highs and lows, which alter their perceptions and also the reader's perceptions of them. By using specifically chosen language, the feelings and emotions of Lucy Snowe and Emma Woodhouse are made apparent and so the reader can share in their delight and depression. Jane Austen's novel appears overall a happier text, despite the continual failings of Emma's matchmaking, and ends positively with both Emma and Harriet getting married, and Harriet discovering her parentage. Although their marriages are well paired, with men who will complete them, the reader cannot help questioning whether marriage and money will always create ‘perfect happiness' (Emma p. 367). Villette on the other hand, ends just as mournfully as it begins, with very little defined ending. It could be argued that Lucy Snowe finds an inner peace with herself, after enjoying three happy years, despite not having M. Paul with her. Perhaps knowing she is loved is enough, and so with this and the solitary life which has given her comfort throughout the novel, Lucy can be settled. With her flourishing school as financial security, Lucy does not require anything more; she has stability and security, that which she has lacked from a young age. Though the storm imagery, if consistent with the rest of Bronte's novel, indicates further change, we are not given any clues as to how this will transpire. With so many novels of this era, both Emma and Villette look at the difficulty of a woman finding true happiness in such a patriarchal society. Kate Millett argued that Villette was ‘too subversive to be popular' (1977:140), accurate considering the conformity of many novels of the time. Emma, for example, still allows a happy ending and a marriage, despite the main character's actions throughout. In creating this alternative style, Charlotte Bronte shows happiness through a perhaps more realistic perspective, rather than Austen's romanticised, ‘happily-ever-after' story.