International Business Course work 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Business Course work 2 - Coursework ExampleEthnocentricity is defined as the belief in the superiority of ones ethnic group (Thefreedictionary). This tincture is very common in a lot of cultures does marketers have to come up with strategies to persuade the population of a specific heathenish group to bribe the products and services your company offers. A way to differentiate a companys product in new marketplace is to create specific mark strategies that argon geared towards the purchasing behavior or the target population. The values and beliefs of a country are characteristics that must be analyzed to desexualise the purchaser behaviors of a country and to be able to send out messages that are clear to avoid miscommunications. Colors have different means across cultural boundaries. For example the color red in Europe is a sign of danger, while the same color in Japan means life (Halman). The springer and attitudes of a group of people determine the preferences of the customers of a region. Environmental scanning of the socio-cultural factor is a technique that can allow a firm to determine the existence of subcultures that can create further segmentation of the market that allows for marketing campaigns for specific customer profiles within a culture (Kotler).There are more elements of a culture that a company must be aware in order to operate a successful and profitable operation in an international location. Some of these elements are local business hours, the existence of consumerism tendencies, societys view about the importance of tangible possessions, and governmental intervention in local commerce among other elements. The culture of a region is composed of many different elements. The attitude towards work between nations varies considerably. For example American workers are workaholics who on the average work nearly 50 hours a week, while in

Thelma and Louise Essay Example for Free

Thelma and Louise EssayThis movie is talking about an adventure of two women, who ar place age good friends and they plan to have a fun exactly for 2 days originally. However, after the accident happened in the parking lot of a bar on their way to their destination, everything went wrong and their pass was like a disaster. that during their trip, they survived, they found out their way to live and found back their pride so I think it is a good model as a feminism movie and thats way I choose this movie. hence let me introduce the movie and analysis it.In the beginning of the movie, it introduces the two women main character Thelma and Louise who are all beautiful and middle aged. But Thelmas economise who is a very mannish chauvinism man, restricting his wife at home and going out anywhere himself, shouting at his wife and keeps commanding his wife rudely. On the other hand Louise is a calculateress, having a boyfriend but not marry yet. I think in the new-fangled 1 900s women are still oppressed by the society and men. Even though the film does not mention the era, I can figure the prison term slowly because the social status of women is still low and equivalent to the other film North Country.After a routing insult from her husband, Thelma decides to go having fun with Louise without her husbands permission and this is the first step that harbours her find herself. When they are on the road, Thelma becomes wild, passionate and crazy and energetic like she is just released from the jail. She also mentions that she feels the cry out of the wild. When they impede driving for fun in a bar, she is cheated by mans sweet words and dancing with him. I think because this is the very first clip she expresses herself, and compared with Louise, Thelma is more innocent and reckless.So the consequence is that she is nearly to be raped. But h singlestly, what she has code? She just has some fun like anyone else. But the women will be raped and the me n are not, from this accident I think that the social back ground very look down on women and scour dont respect them at all. I think that Louise is smarter and stronger than Thelma maybe because she is a waitress, she has more chances to face the people and the society. So when something bad happens to Thelma she arrives and saves her immediately.Accidentally, Louise shots the man dead, both her and Thelma are afraid and scared they have two choices, calling the police or just run away, but Louise knows that the police will not believe them so they just escape anyway. I think Louise shots the man dead because, first she had the identical experiences like Thelma in the past and the second is that the man does not absolve instead calling them bitch. She says to that man (who states that he and Thelma are just having fun) when women cried, that does not mean they are having fun And the gun which be brought by Thelma is the key run of the whole film, starting their life as the runa ways. I think if they were calling the police for the dead man right away the consequence would be different. But the raping crime has no witness except themselves and they know that no one is going to believe them. In a male chauvinism society no one will stand on their side (both impartiality and policeman), so they choose to escape, differing from North country, the two girls do not fight against the law in the court but by running away.On the road, they come into a hot guy who is called J. D. and Thelma very likes him because he is workforceome and humorous. In the same time, Louise contacts with her boyfriend, Jimmy, to get enough money for the trip. Jimmy is one of the two kind men in this film, and no matter what happen to Louise he will wait her. After getting the money, Louise asks Thelma to keep it safe however, Thelma focuses on having fun with J. D. because he is totally different from her husband. When Thelma tells Louise how awesome he is and she left him in the room , Louise rushes to the room for the money.As expected, the money was stolen and they have nothing. Most of the men in the film are bad guys and emphasizes the feminism of this film. Thelmas anxious husband and the man who wants to rape Thelma make them want to fight against men instead of being oppressed by them. Feminism movies always need male chauvinism to contrast the awakening of women. And this trip, they call it vacation, is a wakening for them to find themselves. On their way, Thelma becomes smarter and finds her truth personality gradually.For surviving, Thelma even robs a store with her gun and I really admire her courage even though that means they have to escape from state to state. I think maybe she is more innocent than Louise and having less experience but actually she is the one dare to do anything. This also can be detected in the beginning of the film that she goes out with Louise without her husbands permission, and also can be seen when she makes a call to her hu sband during the trip, her husband asks her go home right away and Thelma just reply f***ing yourself.I think these behaviors cause from she just let herself get out of the constraint which restricts her soul for so long. There is another man who drives a gas car keeping annoy them on the road. He keeps saying suck my dick this kind of dirty languages, several times Louise and Thelma just ignore and overtake the gas car. At the last time they cannot bear anymore, they stop the car and negotiate with the man, asking him apologize. Like the one they met in the bar, he just says bad languages to them.But this time the two women are not afraid of holding guns and both of them shots the gas car. They are not cowards anymore because they go through all of these chaoses and conquer them. After be tail by police for so long, in the end of the movie they are surrounded by the police army. Both of them do not want to be arrested and sent back to the male society, Louise is not going to give up and Thelma would rather keep going into the canyon than get caught, it is a decision amidst life and death.So in the end they just kiss each other and driving away from the police, rush into the canyon by holding hands with each other. I think this movie is a model feminism film because the main characters are two women, not men. And their changing during the trip which they called vacation is very profound. I think what makes them change is that the press and insult from man for so long, and this trip exactly makes them figure out why they have to fag? Why they have to put up with all these things.When they figure out they have nothing to lose, they just set themselves free anyway and do any(prenominal) they want. In the end of the movie, their courage to die together instead of being caught is very impressive and makes me think what I would do if I were them. They even grimace when they face the death I think they must have strong souls which fight against for them. And the death also represent that they look down on this male society, its hopeless for them to live. So they just want to keep going to the death I supposed. And I very appreciate that spirit.

Three Key Techniques for Better Listening Essay Example for Free

Three Key Techniques for Better Listening EssayIn this McKinsey article, Bernard T. Ferrari explores three primordial techniques for better listening and its importance. By showing respect, keeping quiet and challenging assumptions, Mr. Ferrari argues that will create a base of knowledge that generates fresh insights and ideas. First, show respect. regard breeds confidence and trust. If youre a manager, you probably have a complex set of responsibilities. You cant know everything about every facet of your domain. By respecting your teammates, you will naturally draw them into the converse and learn from them. If you simply jump to a solution, you short circuit the entire process. Not only do you take out out on any advice about the current situation, you also teach your colleagues not to offer advice in the future. Second, keep quiet. Ferrari suggest a variation of the 80/20 rule let the other soulfulness speak about 80% of the time while you speak only 20% of the time. Ma ny executives shinny as listeners because they never think to relax their assumptions and open themselves to the possibilities that can be drawn from conversations with others. But many executives will have to undergo a deeper brainpower shifttoward an embrace of ambiguity and a quest to uncover what we both need to get from this interaction so that we can come out smarter. in like manner many good executives, even exceptional ones who ar highly respectful of their colleagues, inadvertently act as if they know it all, or at least whats most important, and subsequently remain well-nighd to anything that undermines their beliefs. Third, challenge assumptions. This doesnt just mean that you challenge other peoples assumptions. It also means that you boost your colleagues to challenge your assumptions. So it takes real effort for executives to become better listeners by forcing themselves to lay bare their assumptions for scrutiny and to shake up their thinking with an eye to ree valuating what they know, fathert know, andan important pointcant know. One of the interesting twists in Ferraris framework for effective listening is his field guide to identifying hopeless listeners.He identifies six types of bad listeners The Opinionator listens to others primarily to determine whether or not their ideas conform to what he or she already believes to be true. Grouches are poor listeners who are blocked by a feeling of certainty that your idea is wrong. The Preamblers windy lead-ins and questions are authentically stealth speeches, often intended to box conversation partners into a corner. Preamblers use questioning to steer thediscussion, send warnings, or generate a desired answer. Perseverators talk a lot without saying anything. If you pay close attention to one of these poor listeners, youll find that their comments and questions dont advance the conversation. Everyone wants to solve problems, but Answer Man spouts solutions before there is even a consensus about the challengea clear signal that input from conversation partners isnt needed. Pretenders feign engagement and even agreement but either arent interested in what youre saying or have already made up their minds.This article is particularly aimed at executives. However, it is useful for every person who wants to learn how to communicate better. Ferrari uses very interesting and humorous examples, so its easy and interesting to read. I find this article very helpful because I struggle to be a good listener. When Im engaged in an intense conversation, Im often framing my response or am thinking about a solution to the problem at hand. Of course, when Im thinking about something else, Im not really listening. More importantly, if the other side thinks Im not listening, theyre less likely to be persuaded to my point of view. Also, I had always thought of questions as being solely an expression of interest and generosity. Now, I am beginning to better understand that questions. Even seemingly friendly inquiries can be a subtle source of control. We simply cant listen if were talking, even if we are talking by questioning.

Lessons in Pragmatism Essay Example for Free

Lessons in Pragmatism EssayHaving been a Para Educator since 1994, serving both(prenominal) Special Education as surface as General education children, I have had countless opportunities to observe incredible teachers in action. In fact, 1 of my most vital responsibilities is to collect observational data on various special education students and their IEP goals. This allows the teacher to generate reports of student progress and to help in modifying goals and objectives as needed. It is unfortunate that the writing of this paper falls during the summer months making it impossible to conduct a formal observation of a specific lesson project in real time. Therefore, the focus of this presentation shall be a lesson plan which was located in the database of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, an organization dedicated to providing enriching, meaningful mathematics course of study while ensuring availability for all students. This particular lesson plan is a multi-d imensional lesson, or a better an investigation, written by Laurie St. Julien (2008) and printed in the publication Teaching Children Mathematics. It has been generated toward trine graders as a means to pose their own mathematical questions from real data (St. Julien, 2008, pg. 506)Before performing each critique of a lesson plan, it is first accommodating to identify the basic philosophies that provide its foundation. In a course structured around empowerment by dint of group dynamics conducted by Brunson and Vogt (1996), the results correlated with the religion that an empowering educational philosophy promotes trust, collaborative learning and tolerance for ambiguity. (Brunson Vogt, 1996, pg. 73) Pragmatism is a philosophy that centers not on the simple passing of knowledge from teacher to student, but around the teacher and student acting as co-learners in the educational process. Stallones, 2011)Pragmatic teachers believe that in order for children to flourish, they must be provided with opportunities to frame their own knowledge through experience with the real domain in a social context. This Pragmatic theology can be traced back to philosopher hind end Dewey (1859 1952). He saw education as the process of reconstructing knowledge through experiencing the real world seeing Philosophy as a discipline that compulsory constant change, paradoxically requiring the same reconstruction in education. Neubert, 2009)Following this school of thought, students are guided to generate their own questions, and to use scientific means to do to their own conclusions. This seems to go in tandem with the 7000 Pancakes lesson plan, centered on the theme of the incredible weekend output of the busiest International House of Pancakes in the country. This is quite prosaic in that it clearly relates to a real world construct familiar to most children, as well as the fact that this particular pancake sept just happens to sit next to Disneyland.The students have n ot been asked to arrive at a singular conclusion, but rather to hypothesize and test their theories, problem break up solutions to and adjust their assertions. This is done in a systematic way over more than one period. (St. Julien, 2008) They are also asked to generate and share their own gauzy group generated questions, This allows for the development of scientific analysis and critical thought, particularly when coupled with the opportunity to scientifically attempt to answer each others questions through experience.In addition, Pragmatism favors the merger of various disciplines, in this case the blending of mathematics and science. The lesson plan includes an element that focuses on the eggs that are needed to force various numbers of pancakes in various time increments however it also questions the properties of the egg and how they change when prepared differently embodying a scientific component to the lesson.This is accompany by hands on demonstration of all of the afor ementioned components, even culminating in a pancake breakfast St. Julien, 2008) The real world connection in every aspect of this lesson, and the scaffolded guidance required by the teacher to implement it effectively, shows the true pragmatic nature of the lesson and its creator. The strengths of the lesson in question are numerous. The social requirements at heart the various groups and in the numerous opportunities for open discussion provided a psychosocial aspect to this lesson. These social skills are vital in every aspect of adult life, beyond the practicalities of mathematics.This is support by Siegel (1995) in her assertion that learning is a social process in which learners actively construct their understandings. (Smith, 1995, pg. 407) By using the real world construct of the familiar pancake house, and the visual aids that the lesson facilitates the students in developing a vested interest in investigating the questions that naturally arise through scientific analysis. The hypothesis and analysis process that resulted were well established and right on target for the inquisitive mind of a third grader.Allowing them to tactilely handle the different components of the pancakes allowed them to come in the information to memory in meaningful ways, allowing them to apply this new knowledge to other situations. The scientific component is also a major strength, however I believe yet another discipline could have been added to this lesson I would also ask them to keep a scientific journal chronicling the experience as well as write a short reflective essay at the end to tie in the language aspect as well. To find any other fault with the lesson plan in question or to better it would prove to be extremely difficult.

Features of Information Technology

Features of Information TechnologyThe Internet similarly known as the Net and is also a worldwide vane of calculating machines. It is made up of thousands of interconnected computer networks (a network is a group of computers connected together). A network in the Internet can be ample (consisting of thousands of computers), medium (consisting of hundreds of computers) or small (consisting of just a few computers). Similarly, the computers in the network can be mainframes, minicomputers or microcomputers.All computers in the Internet assemble and work together to provide a variety of useful service to the users. Computers in the Internet fall into two basic categories host (servers) and terminals (browser).Users connect to the lucre by subscribing to an Internet Service Provider commonly known as an (ISP). An ISP is an organisation that provides bandwidth services at some cost to clients who wish to have meshing connections in their homes or offices. NetZero, ATT and Microsoft N etwork (MSN) are ISPs. Individuals also connect to the Internet through business firms, universities, or research centres that have designated Internet domains. Connection is do byTraditional telephone lines and modemBroadband services which are provided by Digital subscriber line (DSL), agate line satellite connections and T lines. T1 and T3 are transnational telephone standards for digital communications. They leased dedicated lines suitable for business or governing agencies to secure guaranteed service levels.The Internet is based on the TCP/IP networking protocol suite. Every computer on the net is assigned a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address. The Internet also consists of domain naming ashes which stands for DNS. The (DNS) converts IP addresses to domain names .Features that define the internetThe World Wide sack (WWW)EMAILNEWSTELNETFile Transfer Protocol (FTP)Internet relay race Chat (IRC)The World Wide Web (WWW)The World Wide Web Know as WWW is part of the intern et that supports hypertext documents allowing users to access and navigate contrastive types of data. It is also a web document that is encoded with HTML tags. These HTML tags allow designers to link contents via hyperlinks. Every web page has an address which is a render Resource Locator which stands for (URL). Currently the Web is viewed mainly as a tool for allowing access to a large amount of published information.EMAILThis is also known as Electronic Mail and it is the reason most the great unwashed stay on the internet. With the inception of the email facility people can create, address and receive email messages to one an otherwise around the globe using an email program with an email account on the internet mail server. netmail clients usually contain user interfaces to display and edit text.NEWSNews is another major feature of the internet. It includes hundreds of newsgroup each newsgroup hosts discussion on a limited topic. A newsgroups name indicates its users specia l topic of interest such as clothes, shoes, food etc. When participating in a news program you sine qua non to have a news reader program that lets you read articles that have been posted on a news server. Articles can be posted for people to read and respond to.is the worlds biggest electronic discussion forum. It provides a way for messages to be sent among computers across the entire Internet. People from all over the world go into in discussions on thousands of specific areas of interest called newsgroupsWhat is Telnet?The Telnet protocol is often thought of as simply providing a facility for remote logins to computer via the Internet. Telnet follows a lymph node / Server Model. You run a piece of software on your own PC (the client) to use the resources of a distant Server Computer (host computer)Some pragmatical uses of Telnet includeTelnet is a Protocol that lets you use the power of the Internet to connect you to databases, library catalogs, and other information resourc es around the world.Telnet lets you connect directly to another computer on the Internet and run programs on the computer (provided you have access permission (Username and Password).Theoretically you have a lot of power at your fingertips. Your bleak terminal or very old PC can run programs on the worlds most powerful computers.How is the Internet governed?The Internet is a democratic setup. No single organization owns or manages all the resources in the Internet. Rather, it is collectively owned and managed by thousands of organizations from around the world. apiece organization owns and manages its own network, but provides services to other networks as well as receives services from them. There is no master or slave relation in the Net all users have agree standing.The Internet data traffic is carried over transcontinental high-speed backbone networks that operate in a range of 45Mbps to 2.5 Gbps. Trunk lines are owned by long-distance telephone companies called Network Serv ice Providers or by National Government. Local connection lines are owned by regional telephone and cable television companies in the United States that connect retail users in homes and business to internet. The regional networks lease access to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), private companies, and government institutions. Each organisation pays for its own networks and its own local Internet connection services, a part of which is paid to the long-distance trunk line. Individual internet users pays ISPs for using their services and they generally pay a flat subscription fee no matter how much or how little they use the internet.The internet is not owned by any state or organisation and it has no formal management. However the internet policies are established by a number of professional organisations and government bodies including the (IAB) Internet Architecture Board that helps define the overall structure of the NET, the Internet Corporation for assigned Names and Numbers ( ICANN), assigns IP addresses and the World Wide Web Consortium which sets Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) and other programming standards for the web.These organisations influence government agencies, network owners, ISPs and software developers with the goal of keeping the Internet operating. The Internet must also aline to the laws of the nation-states in which it operates as well as the technical infrastructure that exist within the nation-states.

Disputes with Completion Dates

Disputes with Completion DatesAs mentioned in the introduction, disputes associated with goal dates often become complicated due to association with different legal concepts. To fully comprehend the look for subject matter, it is important to give a brief overview of such principles, as detailed further below.Most commonly the asseverators obligations in respect of date for culmination of the works are expressly defined OV1 at heart the terms of contract, it is yet not uncommon for the extent of such obligations to be described less definitively. turn the condemnation for completion will be expressly defined as a fixed date or a fixed period and can be easily identified, it is also essential to for the contract to provide for the mechanism of establishing completion e.g. commencement date where completion is determined by a fixed period.Where the time for completion is ill-defined to such extent that the contracting parties intentions cannot be open or are non-existent, then th e law considers time to be at wide OV2and implies a requirement to complete the works within reasonable time.The principle of reasonable time under English Law goes back to 19th century1, where it was established that for if a delay is not attributed to causes within a partys control, nor such party acted negligently, it will be considered that obligations are duly fulfilled.Reasonableness cannot be given a strict definition and is assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration circumstances prevailing during the period of performance2.Some authors on the subject view that both(prenominal) ordinary (e.g. site access, government permits, resource availability, etc.) and extraordinary circumstances (e.g. strikes, client variations, etc) should be taken into consideration when establishing reasonable time3.Occasionally, some bespoke contracts may channel time is of the essence terms. In contractual context, it has stricter essence than its everyday application i.e. if something isnt done swiftly, it will be too lateOV4.4Inclusion of such terms in a contract significantly elevates the rights and obligations to the contract, whereby failure to meet the completion date will be treated as a fundamental br distributively of the contract5.While the contract may be found repudiated, the existence of a time is of the essence provision alone may not be sufficient and measure up rules should be applied in such circumstances6.Another area of significant immenseness in establishing whether completion date has been adhered to, is the meaning of completion itself.Ordinary meaning of completionOV5 requires fulfilment of all obligations, which when applied in the context of entire contractsOV6, may result in harsh consequences. It is extremely rare for social organization contracts to be considered in the same manner and courts will generally take a practical view as to what constitutes completion within construction industry7.To job that position, standard construction contracts have developed various definitions for use in the industry, such as practical8 or substantial9 OV7completion, which irrespective of the words used to describe it, are intended to reflect the courts position as summarised by Judge Newey QCOV810In my opinion there is no room for completion as distinct to practical completion. Because a construction can seldom if ever be built precisely as required by drawings and specification, the contract realistically refers to practical completion and not completion but they mean the same.Eminent legal writers on this subject11 concur with this viewUsually it will mean bona fide completion free of known or overt defects so as to enable the owner to enter into occupation. The words practical or substantial in the English standard forms do no more(prenominal) than indicate that trivial defects not affecting beneficial occupancy will not prevent completion (the more so, of course, if the contract provides for a maintenance o r defects liability period) 12Irrespective of exact term used, completion can be summarised as a significant gateway, which signifiesthe transfer of risk for the care of the works from the Contractor to the Employerrepossession of the site by the Employerthe start of the period during which the Contractor will be liable for defects in the worksthe end of the Contractors liability for late completion muster expose of retention monies from the Employer to the Contractorthe end of Contractors obligation to insure the works brain of the above has a clear importance in resolving any disputes arising out of delay, extension of time and other time related matters.In addition to an obligation to complete the works by a specific date or within a specific time period, most contracts make specific provision for the contractor to proceed with the work and make progress with due diligence. Understanding of this term may, in first instance, appear to have only a remote connection to the subject matter. However, as shown in the next chapters, it is of significant importance when it comes to establishing the contractors responsibility when the time of completion is set at large.The courts have held that the assessment of what constitutes diligence must be based on the surrounding circumstances of each case. For example, per Lord Justice Parker13 what is due diligence and expedition depends, of course, on the object which is sought to be achieved, who went on to explain the relation between diligence and specific contract object, time scales, complexities, etc.Similarly, in the separate Court of Appeal case of West Faulkener Associates v London Borough of Newham (1994)14 the court found that literal interpretation, mercantile logic and common sense required the contractor to proceed both regularly and diligently.15In the absence of an explicit due diligence obligation within a contract, some authors consider that common law implies such a term on the grounds of business effi cOV9acy16.1 Lord Watson in Hick v Raymond and Reid 1893 AC 222 British Steel Corporation v Cleveland Bridge and engineering science Co. Ltd 1984 1 All ER3 I.N.nDuncan- Wallace in Hudsons Bilding and Engineering Contracts, 11th Edn., 1995, pleasantness Maxwell Ltd, p.1194 Oxford Dictionary of English 2nd edn., 2008, Oxford University Press5 Carr v J.A. Berriman Pty. Ltd. 1953 ALJ 273 High Court of Australia6 United Scientific Holdings Ltd. v Burnley Council 1977 2 WLR 8067 E.g. Emson Eastern Ltd v EME Developments Ltd 1991 55BLR 1148 JCT9 nut case10 Emson Eastern Ltd v EME Developments Ltd 1991 55BLR 11411 For example B. Eggleston in Liquidated Damages and Extensions of Time, 3rd edition, 2009, Wiley-Blackwell, and I.N. Duncan-Wallace in Hudsons Building and Engineering Contracts, 11th edn., 1995, Sweet Maxwell Ltd.12 I.N. Duncan-Wallace in Hudsons Building and Engineering Contracts, 11th edn., 1995, Sweet Maxwell Ltd. p110913 Greater London Council v The Cleveland Bridge Engi neering Co. Ltd 1986 34 BLR 5014 West Faulkener Associates v London Borough of Newham 1994 71 BLR 115 B. Eggleston in Liquidated Damages and Extensions of Time, 3rd edition, 2009, Wiley-Blackwell, p 2416 I.N. Duncan-Wallace in Hudsons Building and Engineering Contracts, 11th edn., 1995, Sweet Maxwell Ltd., p1125OV1Insert ref. to one of the standard contractsOV2Insert ref.OV3Could expand fairly to beef upOV4Check later ed. Of the dictionary. Also check single or double parentheses throughoutOV5Insert refOV6Ref.OV7Full ref.OV8Pp locationOV9Link to the next chapter?

Anne Stevensons The Marriage: An Analysis

Anne St with as well asns The Marriage An AnalysisAnne Stevensons song, The Marriage, is a playful, subtle and profound description of the differences mingled with men and women, and the difficulties inherent in such, specific all(prenominal)y in regards to the unification of the sexes, two somatogenicly, spiritually and in terms of societal conventions (thus the title). By portraying these difficulties in pure physical terms as a couple trying to come together to rest comfortably in bed Stevenson is able to build a vivid and surprisingly comprehensive and ecumenical depiction of marriage.The poem is from the point of view of the wife, perhaps the author herself, who is trying to figure out a way to position her luggage compartment against her economises so the two will be able to rest snugly at night. With both of them facing the equivalent direction, she in front, he in back, they be nearly successful, but allif her backboneCuts ex coifly into his rib cageAnd only if h is kneesDock exactly under her kneesAnd all fourAgree on a common angleThus positioned provided their bodies willingly correspond the husband and wife wipe out achieved unification, or, at the very least, a modicum of comfort. But this is a lesser victory, or even a false one, for as the narrator continuesAll would be wellIf onlyThey could face each otherIn three lines, Stevenson has perfectly summed up what plagues marriages, old and new alike that men and women atomic number 18 inherently variant. no. that one is superior and the other inferior she seems to prescribe to the divorce but equal doctrine that is the norm in her homeland of American and her adopted country of England but that they are uniquely separate entities. Men and women sound off differently, act differently, and are proportioned differently. And any kind of union between the two, any pee of coming-together, is marked my problems. The poet is also asserting that in order for this to occur, a via me dia must be enacted. And in any kind of compromise, some things are won (the couple fit) and some are lost (they are non facing each other). While the partners have achieved a level of comfort and intimacy, with her backbone nicely fitting into his rib cage, and his knees docking perfectly under hers, they have lost a major component of such, as they cannot look at one another.Stevensons vision of compromise is universal, and does not apply to merely physical situations. The implications correspond to any aspect of a relationship, including, for example, where a couple chooses to settle (one likes the city, one likes the country, so they move to the suburbs), to how they raise their kids (one is a fan of television, one isnt, so the child watches a minimum amount), to how they spend their money (one likes extravagant things, one prefers simple things, so they buy items that are moderately priced). In all of these situations, both parties are content in that they have achieved satis faction. While neither got everything they were asking for, each partner got enough (presumably, at least) to remain content. This partial victory is the crux of a successful relationship.But Stevenson is not finished. She goes on with her physical description of the pair, who meetNose to neckChest to scapulaGroin to rumpAnd yet, even though the situation is still not ideal they are unable to face each other, after all in even this there is a silver liningThey look, at leastAs if they were goingIn the same directionWhile this is merely a small caveat observation her use of the phrase they look, at least, as if this is merely the appearance of agreement even so, it is something. And this small something, again, this tiny victory is often enough to make all the difference. Stevenson is celebrating the small moments of daily life and the small victories that are won through compromise. Are the couple, or, in fact, are any man and woman perfectly matched? No. Are there differences between the two that will never be breached? Certainly. But does this mean that one cannot work with this other to achieve some form of balance, even if it is not perfect? Of course not. And, at least in the poets mind, this transcendence of differences makes it even more special.In Stevensons world, a husband and wife half-consciously groping for each other in the middle of the night is as important as any other compromise made between the sexes. A man moves halfway across the world to be with the woman he loves. A woman changes her religion to be with the man she loves. Both are noble and tremendous acts, but are just as heroic as the couple fumbling in bed. Love, marriage, etc., is both gigantic and intimate, and every act of coming together is important.But let us quickly go back to these wordsThey look, at leastAs if they were goingIn the same directionThis passage holds another meaning, that of the fact that the couple is actually not going in the same direction, but only app ear to be. Stevenson is saying that looks are deceiving, and while the pair seems to be in agreement, they are in reality far from it. This is a reinforcement of her belief that the sexes are different, and even when they dont seem to be (a husband and wife both like the same television program, for example, but he enjoys it for the action, she for the sexy leading man), in truth their agendas and perceptions are widely divergent, more than ever.To demonstrate her view of marriage, Stevenson adopts a casual, easy, free verse style, one that is relaxed and light. The words are simple and straightforward, and the situation is commonplace and routine. Underneath, of course, it is a different story, as the subject matter the differences between the sexes, and how these differences can be overcome is neither easy nor commonplace. And while she uses the couples awkward brushing of body parts to personify this subtext, even this is muted. However, her choice of illustration is highly eff ective, and she doesnt need to cloud the issue with excessive metaphor or lofty language. In fact, her technique actually apes her point of view. The mundane act of a man and woman trying to sleep comfortably together is profound, as it not only acts as a representation for the larger compromises that couples must make, but is on its own special and meaningful. By keeping it simple, Stevenson demonstrates the complex and universal.Anne Stevenson, unlike the never-married Emily Dickinson and Elizabeth Bishop (who she is often compared to), has been sweep up four times. Since 1987 she has been with the Darwin scholar Peter Lucas, and no doubt in those seventeen years she has learned a thing or two about compromise. Her poem Marriage perfectly captures the disparities between men and women, and the contortions that must be performed to unify the two. Marriage, relationships, love, etc., are wondrous, unique things, as are men and women themselves, but they are also universal. Couples must compromise to survive, sometimes in big ways, sometimes in small ones. But all of these compromises are significant, and all of them make us human. Stevensons poem, like marriage itself, is both incredibly simple and tremendously complicated. Her basic, straightforward words could not be more profound.BibliographyHickling, Alfred. Border Crossings. The Guardian Unlimited. 2 Oct. 2004.Stevenson, Anne. Poems 1955-2005. Northumberland Bloodaxe Books, 2005.