Luxury Paradigm Essay Example for Free

Luxury Paradigm Essay It is generally acknowledged that western consumption of luxury in the 1980s and 1990s was motivated primarily by status-seeking and appearance. This means that social status associated with a brand is an important factor in conspicuous consumption. The baby boom generation luxury consumer has a passion for self-indulgence while maintaining an iconoclastic world view, which is transforming the luxury market from its ‘ old ’ conspicuous consumption model to a totally new, individualistic type of luxury consumer one driven by new needs and desires for experiences ’ . The expression of ‘today’s luxury’ is about a celebration of personal creativity, expressiveness, intelligence, fluidity, and above all, meaning. LUXURY AND POSTMODERNISM Recent arguments have been sounded that aspects of contemporary luxury consumption have reflected the phenomenon of postmodernism. Postmodernity means very different things to many different people’. Postmodernism is essentially a western philosophy that ‘refers to a break in thinking away from the modern, functional and rational’. In terms of experiential marketing, two aspects of the postmodern discourse are most relevant: hyper-reality and image. Hyper-reality refers to ‘the blurring of distinction between the real and the unreal, in which the prefix ‘hyper’ signifies more real than real. When the real that is the environment, is no longer a given, but is reproduced by a simulated environment, it does not become unreal, but realer than real’. The example of Bollywood to illustrate the so-called ‘Disneyfication’ of reality within the context of contemporary Indian society: ‘Bollywood captures not only the imagination in the form of song, music and dance but fairy tale settings, romantic melodrama and heroic storylines immerse the viewer in ‘simulated reality’. Traditional marketing was developed in response to the industrial age, not the information, branding and communications revolution we are facing today. In a new age, with new consumers, we need to shift away from a features- and-benefits approach, as advocated by traditional approaches to consumer experiences. One such approach is experiential marketing, an approach that in contrast to the rational features-and-benefits view of consumers takes a more postmodern orientation, and views them as emotional beings concerned with achieving pleasurable experiences. EXPERIENTIAL LUXURY MARKETING When a person buys a service, he purchases a set of intangible activities carried out on his behalf. But when he buys an experience, he pays to spend time enjoying a series of memorable events that a company stages to engage him in a personal way. Experiential marketing is thus about taking the essence of a product and amplifying it into a set of tangible, physical and interactive experiences that reinforce the offer. Experiential marketing essentially describes marketing initiatives that give consumers in-depth, tangible experiences in order to provide them with sufficient information to make a purchase decision. It is clear that the fact that many luxury goods are almost always experiential puts luxury marketers in a unique position to apply the principles of experiential marketing to their activities. Dimensions of the luxury experience The term ‘involvement’ refers to the level of inter-activity between the supplier and the customer. Increased levels of involvement fundamentally change the way in which services are experienced, that is, suppliers no longer create an experience and pass it to the customer; instead, the supplier and customer are interactively co-creating the experience. The term ‘intensity’ refers to the perception of the strength of feeling towards the interaction. The four experiential zones are not intended to be mutually exclusive; the richness of an experience is, however, a function of the degree to which all four zones are incorporated. Those experiences we think of as Entertainment, such as fashion shows at designer boutiques and upmarket department stores, usually involve a low degree of customer involvement and intensiveness. Activities in the Educational zone involve those where participants are more actively involved, but the level of intensiveness is still low. In this zone, participants acquire new skills or increase those they already have. Many luxury goods offerings include educational dimensions. For example, cruise ships often employ well-known authorities to provide semi-formal lectures about their itineraries – a concept commonly referred to as ‘edutainment’. Escapist activities are those that involve a high degree of both involvement and intensiveness, and are clearly a central feature of much of luxury consumption. This is clearly evident within the luxury tourism and hospitality sector, characterised by the growth of specialised holiday offerings. The launch of the Royal Tented Taj Spa (Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces) at the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur (India) recreates the mobile palaces used by the Mughal emperors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with chandeliers, royal pennants and Indian love swings. When the element of activity is reduced to a more passive involvement in nature, the event becomes Aesthetic. A high degree of intensiveness is clearly evident within this activity, but has little effect on its environment such as admiring the architectural or interior design of designer boutiques. The six-storey glass crystal design of the Prada store in Tokyo conceptualised by the architects Herzog and de Meuron has become a showcase for unconventional contemporary architecture.

The Power of Love in Wuthering Heights Essay -- Literary Analysis

Wuthering Heights is a novel which deviates from the standard of Victorian literature. The novels of the Victorian Era were often works of social criticism. They generally had a moral purpose and promoted ideals of love and brotherhood. Wuthering Heights is more of a Victorian Gothic novel; it contains passion, violence, and supernatural elements (Mitchell 119). The world of Wuthering Heights seems to be a world without morals. In Wuthering Heights, Brontà « does not idealize love; she presents it realistically, with all its faults and merits. She shows that love is a powerful force which can be destructive or redemptive. Heathcliff has an all-consuming passion for Catherine. When she chooses to marry Edgar, his spurned love turns into a destructive force, motivating him to enact revenge and wreak misery. The power of Heathcliff’s destructive love is conquered by the influence of another kind of love. Young Cathy’s love for Hareton is a redemptive force. It is her love that brings an end to the reign of Heathcliff. Heathcliff and Catherine have loved each other since their childhood. Initially, Catherine scorned the little gypsy boy; she showed her distaste by â€Å"spitting† at him (Brontà « 27). However, it was not long before Heathcliff and Catherine became â€Å"very think† (Brontà « 27). They became very close friends; they were practically brother and sister (Mitchell 122). Heathcliff is intent upon pleasing Catherine. He would â€Å"do her bidding in anything† (Brontà « 30). He is afraid of â€Å"grieving† her (Brontà « 40). Heathcliff finds solace and comfort in Catherine’s company. When Catherine is compelled to stay at Thrushcross Grange to recover from her injury, she returns as â€Å"a very dignified person† (Brontà « 37). Her association with the gente... ...d to Cathy. He desires to be accepted by her. Cathy willingly loves and accepts Hareton. It is this love which reforms Hareton and dispels the tyranny at Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff’s love brought about destruction; Cathy brings redemption to the Heights through her love. Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Wuthering Heights shows the real effects of love; love has the power to create evil or good. Primary Source Brontà «, Emily. Wuthering Heights. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 1996. Print. Secondary Sources Berg, Maggie. Wuthering Heights: The Writing in the Margin. New York: Twayne, 1996. Print. "Characteristics of Victorian Literature." Homewood City Schools. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. . Mitchell, Hayley R., ed. Readings on Wuthering Heights. San Diego: Greenhaven, 1999. Print.

Hope Is the Thing with Feathers Meaning

â€Å"Hope† is the thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson â€Å"Hope† is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul†¦.. And sings the tune without the words†¦.. And never stops†¦. at all†¦. And sweetest†¦ in the Gale†¦. is heard†¦ And sore must be the storm That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm I’ve heard it in the chillest land†¦ And on the strangest Sea Yet, never, in Extremity It asked a crumb †¦. of Me Dickinson defines hope by comparing it to a bird (a metaphor) . Stanza one Hope is a â€Å"thing† because it is a feeling; the thing/feeling is like a bird.Dickinson uses the standard dictionary format for a definition; first she places the word in a general category (â€Å"thing†), and then she differentiates it from everything else in that category. For instance, the definition of a cat would run something like this: a cat is a mammal (the first part of the definition places it in a category); the rest of the definition would be â€Å"which is nocturnal, fur-bearing, hunts at night, has pointed ears, etc. (the second part of the definition differentiates the cat from other all mammals). How would hope â€Å"perch,† and why does it perch in the soul?As you read this poem, keep in mind that the subject is hope and that the bird metaphor is only defining hope. Whatever is being said of the bird applies to hope, and the application to hope is Dickinson's point in this poem. The bird â€Å"sings. † Is this a good or a bad thing? The tune is â€Å"without words. † Is hope a matter of words, or is it a feeling about the future, a feeling which consists both of desire and expectation? Psychologically, is it true that hope never fails us, that hope is always possible? Stanza two Why is hope â€Å"sweetest† during a storm?When do we most need hope, when things are going well or when they are going badly? Sore is being used in the sense of very great or severe; abash means to make ashamed, embarrassed, or self-conscious. Essentially only the most extreme or impossible-to-escape storm would affect the bird/hope. If the bird is â€Å"abashed† what would happen to the individual's hope? In a storm, would being â€Å"kept warm† be a plus or a minus, an advantage or a disadvantage? Stanza three What kind of place would â€Å"chillest† land be? Would you want to vacation there, for instance? Yet in this coldest land, hope kept the individual warm.Is keeping the speaker warm a desirable or an undesirable act in these circumstances? Is â€Å"the strangest sea† a desirable or undesirable place to be? Would you need hope there? The bird, faithful and unabashed, follows and sings to the speaker (â€Å"I've heard it†) under the worst, the most threatening of circumstances. The last two lines are introduced by â€Å"Yet. † What kind of connection does â€Å"yet† establish with th e preceding ideas/stanzas? Does it lead you to expect similarity, contrast, an example, an irrelevancy, a joke? Even in the most critical circumstances the bird never asked for even a â€Å"crumb† in return for its support.What are the associations with â€Å"crumb†? would you be satisfied if your employer offered you â€Å"a crumb† in payment for your work? Also, is â€Å"a crumb† appropriate for a bird? Emily Dickinson’s â€Å"Hope is the Thing With Feathers,† is the VI part of a much larger poem called â€Å"Life. † The poem examines the abstract idea of hope in the free spirit of a bird. Dickinson uses imagery, metaphor, to help describe why â€Å"Hope is the Thing With Feathers. † In the first stanza, â€Å"Hope is the Thing With Feathers,† Dickinson uses the metaphorical image of a bird to describe the abstract idea of hope.Hope, of course, is not an animate thing, it is inanimate, but by giving hope feathers, she begins to create an image hope in our minds. The imagery of feathers conjures up hope in itself. Feathers represent hope because feathers enable you to fly and offer the image of flying away to a new hope, a new beginning. In contrast, broken feathers or a broken wing grounds a person, and conjures up the image of needy person who has been beaten down by life. Their wings have been broken and they no longer have the power to hope. In the second stanza, â€Å"That perches in the soul,† Dickinson continues to use the imagery of a bird to describe hope.Hope, she is implying, perches or roosts in our soul. The soul is the home for hope. It can also be seen as a metaphor. Hope rests in our soul the way a bird rests on its perch. In the third and fourth stanzas, Ads by Google| Famous Haiku Poems  Ã‚  Haiku Poetry  Ã‚  Flying Birds  Ã‚  Examples of Poems| | And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all. Dickinson uses the imagery of a bird’s continuous son g to represent eternal hope. Birds never stop singing their song of hope. The fifth stanza â€Å"And sweetest in the gale is heard† describes the bird’s song of hope as sweetest in the wind.It conjures up images of a bird’s song of hope whistling above the sound of gale force winds and offering the promise that soon the storm will end. Dickinson uses the next three lines to metaphorically describe what a person who destroys hope feels like. And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. A person who destroys hope with a storm of anger and negativity feels the pain they cause in others. Dickinson uses a powerful image of a person abashing the bird of hope that gives comfort and warmth for so many.The destroyer of hope causes pain and soreness that hurts them the most. In the first line of the last set of stanzas â€Å"I’ve heard it in the chillest lands,† Dickinson offers the reader another reason to have hope. I t is heard even in the coldest, saddest lands. Hope is eternal and everywhere. The birds song of hope is even heard â€Å"And on the strangest sea. † Hope exists for everyone. In the last two lines, Dickinson informs us that the bird of hope asks for no favor or price in return for its sweet song. Yet never in extremity, It asked a crumb of me. Hope is a free gift.It exists for all of us. All we must do is not clip the wings of hope and let it fly and sing freely. Its song can be heard over the strangest seas, coldest lands, and in the worst storms. It is a song that never ends as long as we do not let it. This is the only poem of hers that does not stress the mental anguish of the poet. The only one. You can disagree. Great use of metaphors much like the feathers on a bird hope insulates us from some of the harsher realities of life! suggests hope is universal when talks about birds song without words hope is common to all people and all times†¦ Louise Posted on 2009-09 -28 | by a guest .: ah interesting :. I interperted the poem more as a reference. The hope can stand through much more hardship than the people themselves, but hope doesn't react as the way a bird would. A bird would sink into a slump, or fly from the complication, whereas hope would continue to be precious, reasuring the being and coaching its continuation. | Posted on 2008-03-10 | by a guest .: ah interesting :. I interperted the poem more as a reference. The hope can stand through much more hardship than the people themselves, but hope doesn't react as the way a bird would.A bird would sink into a slump, or fly from the complication, whereas hope would continue to be precious, reasuring the being and coaching its continuation. | Posted on 2008-03-10 | by a guest .: :. Dickinson defines hope with a metaphor, comparing it to a bird. Dickinson introduces her metaphor in the first two lines, â€Å"Hope is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul. † Throughout the entir e poem, this metaphor develops through Dickinson’s comparison of characteristics between hope and a bird, whatever is being said of the bird applies to hope, and the application to hope is Dickinson's point in this poem.It is obvious that a bird â€Å"sings the tune,† but Emily’s version of a bird, â€Å"sings a tune—without the words, and never stops at all. † In the soul where this bird has perched on, sings wordlessly and without pause. Like the bird, hope comes from one’s soul, and â€Å"never stops at all,† meaning that an individual does not stop hoping. Like the tune without words, hope also is not a matter of words. It is a feeling about the future both of desire and expectation. The development of this metaphor continues as Dickinson describes how the bird reacts to hardships. A storm must be impossibly brutal to â€Å"abash the little bird. The bird continues to survive as it can be found everywhere. The â€Å"chillest lan d† to the â€Å"strangest sea,† symbolizes hope’s presence under the worst and most threatening circumstances. Hope reacts in the same way. For hope to be â€Å"abashed,† â€Å"sore must be the storm,† or fatal must be the hardship. â€Å"That kept so many warm† is an appropriate characteristic of hope and a bird. Similar to a bird’s constant and comforting melodies, hope’s constant reassurance â€Å"has kept so many warm† in times of hardships. | Posted on 2007-02-28 | by a guest .: :. Dickinson defines hope with a metaphor, comparing it to a bird.Dickinson introduces her metaphor in the first two lines, â€Å"Hope is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul. † Throughout the entire poem, this metaphor develops through Dickinson’s comparison of characteristics between hope and a bird, whatever is being said of the bird applies to hope, and the application to hope is Dickinson's point in this poem. I t is obvious that a bird â€Å"sings the tune,† but Emily’s version of a bird, â€Å"sings a tune—without the words, and never stops at all. † In the soul where this bird has perched on, sings wordlessly and without pause.Like the bird, hope comes from one’s soul, and â€Å"never stops at all,† meaning that an individual does not stop hoping. Like the tune without words, hope also is not a matter of words. It is a feeling about the future both of desire and expectation. The development of this metaphor continues as Dickinson describes how the bird reacts to hardships. A storm must be impossibly brutal to â€Å"abash the little bird. † The bird continues to survive as it can be found everywhere. The â€Å"chillest land† to the â€Å"strangest sea,† symbolizes hope’s presence under the worst and most threatening circumstances.Hope reacts in the same way. For hope to be â€Å"abashed,† â€Å"sore must be the storm,† or fatal must be the hardship. â€Å"That kept so many warm† is an appropriate characteristic of hope and a bird. Similar to a bird’s constant and comforting melodies, hope’s constant reassurance â€Å"has kept so many warm† in times of hardships. | Posted on 2007-02-28 | by a guest Post your Analysis Message This may only be an analysis of the writing. No requests for explanation or general short comments allowed. Due to Spam Posts are moderated before posted.

Frederick Douglass, Billy Budd and Ivan Llych - 1036 Words

Frederick Douglass was born as a slave in 1818. He was born in Maryland specifically in Baltimore. At the time of his birth, his last name was Bailey. Douglass began to receive an education as a child, which shows that he had more freedom than most slaves of the time. At the age of twenty Douglass fled Baltimore in pursuit of New York. New York was a completely free state at the time. While in New York he was reacquainted with a woman from Baltimore by the name of Anne Murray. Due to nature of how Douglass got to New York he had to change his name from Bailey to Douglass to throw off the trial of any pursuers. While Douglass and his wife were in Massachusetts in the 1840’s, Douglass became a founding member of the gaining abolitionist movement. When Douglass had the opportunity to meet fellow abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison the two were at an abolitionist meeting. Douglass was rushed in front to tell the crowd about injustices he saw and personally faced while in slavery. Garrison witnessed the power that Douglass had to inspire crowds while also bringing to light the injustices. He saw Douglass as a possible face of the blossoming movement. One of the x factors Douglass had was that he was very well spoken and could talk as if he had been formally educated. In the year 1845 Douglass wrote Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. This was his autobiography in a sense. Before the book was published Douglass had many nay sayers questioning his