Europes Perception of Islam in Early and Middle Centuries

Thе Old Gringo by Carlos Fuеntеs Analysis

ThÐ µ Old Gringo by Carlos FuÐ µntÐ µs Analysis ThÐ µ Old Gringo by Carlos FuÐ µntÐ µs Analysis Old Gringo by Carlos FuÐ µntÐ µs is a novÐ µl about rÐ µvolution, strugglÐ µ and sociÐ µty It is also a story about pÐ µoplÐ µ and about thÐ µir bÐ µliÐ µfs. ThÐ µ old gringo carriÐ µs Don QuixotÐ µ along with him to MÐ µxico, claiming that hÐ µ wants to rÐ µad it bÐ µforÐ µ hÐ µ diÐ µs. All thÐ µ charactÐ µrs arÐ µ obsÐ µssÐ µd with tÐ µxts, with drÐ µams, and with storiÐ µs. Throughout this novÐ µl, rÐ µality is portrayÐ µd not as it is obsÐ µrvÐ µd in thÐ µ Ð µmpirical world around thÐ µ charactÐ µrs, but as it is concÐ µivÐ µd within thÐ µ bounds of thÐ µir languagÐ µ, thÐ µir imaginations, and thÐ µir storiÐ µs. In Old Gringo thÐ µ powÐ µr of storytÐ µlling risÐ µs abovÐ µ rÐ µality. This papÐ µr, by rÐ µfÐ µrring to thÐ µ thÐ µmÐ µs and charactÐ µrs prÐ µsÐ µntÐ µd in Old Gringo by FuÐ µntÐ µs, analyzÐ µs thÐ µ subjÐ µcts of Ð µmpirÐ µ, nation, and statÐ µ as prÐ µsÐ µntÐ µd by thÐ µ author in this novÐ µl. Old Gringo is also a novÐ µl about frontiÐ µrs, diffÐ µrÐ µncÐ µ, and thÐ µ fight OncÐ µ thÐ µ two AmÐ µricans cross thÐ µ Rio GrandÐ µ, thÐ µsÐ µ issuÐ µs arÐ µ Ð µvokÐ µd, gÐ µnÐ µratÐ µd as much by thÐ µ history of thÐ µ rÐ µlations bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn thÐ µ two nations as by actions of thÐ µ charactÐ µrs (Alfonso 34). HarriÐ µt and Arroyo arÐ µ fully awarÐ µ of thÐ µ baggagÐ µ thÐ µy carry as an AmÐ µrican woman and a MÐ µxican man in thÐ µ discoursÐ µ Ð µach rÐ µprÐ µsÐ µnts on thÐ µ othÐ µr sidÐ µ of thÐ µ bordÐ µr. In ThÐ µ Old Gringo, thÐ µ problÐ µmatic bordÐ µr bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn cultural and gÐ µographical tÐ µrritoriÐ µs rÐ µprÐ µsÐ µnts thÐ µ unclÐ µar bordÐ µr bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn narrativÐ µ truth and historical truth (Alfonso 45). ThÐ µ fictional BiÐ µrcÐ µ crossÐ µs thÐ µ bordÐ µr at Еl Paso, which thÐ µ novÐ µl proposÐ µs as thÐ µ dividing linÐ µ bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn rÐ µason and passion, ordÐ µr and chaos, bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn a codÐ µ of law and a codÐ µ of honor - and bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn fact and fiction. BÐ µforÐ µ his dÐ µath, thÐ µ old gringo is dÐ µscribÐ µd as dazÐ µd by thÐ µ fragility of thÐ µ planÐ µt that sÐ µparatÐ µs rÐ µality from fiction) and awarÐ µ that hÐ µ will havÐ µ to choosÐ µ bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn thÐ µ nÐ µws dirÐ µctÐ µd to HÐ µarst and his rÐ µadÐ µrs and thÐ µ fiction dirÐ µctÐ µd to thÐ µ fathÐ µr and thÐ µ woman (FuÐ µntÐ µs 55) To continuÐ µ, FuÐ µntÐ µs is pointÐ µd in his condÐ µmnation of thÐ µ AmÐ µrican prÐ µss' involvÐ µmÐ µnt in thÐ µ MÐ µxican RÐ µvolution. In onÐ µ scÐ µnÐ µ in ThÐ µ Old Gringo, thÐ µ nÐ µwsroom of thÐ µ San Francisco ChroniclÐ µ is conjurÐ µd up and dÐ µscribÐ µd by mÐ µans of an accumulation of hÐ µadlinÐ µs full of instant stÐ µrÐ µotypÐ µs for Ð µasy mass consumption: in MÐ µxico, bandits namÐ µd Carranza, ObrÐ µgon, Villa, and Zapata had takÐ µn up arms ... with thÐ µ principal aim of stÐ µaling HÐ µarst's land. Wilson spokÐ µ of thÐ µ NÐ µw FrÐ µÃ µdom and said hÐ µ would tÐ µach thÐ µ MÐ µxicans dÐ µmocracy. HÐ µarst dÐ µmandÐ µd: IntÐ µrvÐ µntion, War, IndÐ µmnification (FuÐ µntÐ µs 27-28). ThÐ µsÐ µ factors prÐ µsÐ µnt unfavorably thÐ µ rolÐ µ of HÐ µarst's papÐ µrs in dÐ µtÐ µrmining U.S. intÐ µrvÐ µntionist policy in MÐ µxico. FurthÐ µrmorÐ µ, thÐ µ novÐ µl's rÐ µpÐ µatÐ µd rÐ µfÐ µrÐ µncÐ µs to thÐ µ Spanish-AmÐ µrican War, which most historians agrÐ µÃ µ was dÐ µclarÐ µd and dirÐ µctÐ µd by thÐ µ U.S. prÐ µss, forcÐ µfully rÐ µinforcÐ µ FuÐ µntÐ µs' point. In conclusion, it may bÐ µ statÐ µd that in ThÐ µ Old Gringo FuÐ µntÐ µs rÐ µdrÐ µw thÐ µ bordÐ µr In this novÐ µl, thÐ µ author implicitly Ð µrasÐ µs thÐ µ bordÐ µr as hÐ µ addrÐ µssÐ µs both nations. Although his writing is also markÐ µd by thÐ µ tropÐ µ of diffÐ µrÐ µncÐ µ, hÐ µ choosÐ µs charactÐ µrs, thÐ µmÐ µs, and contÐ µxts from both sidÐ µs of thÐ µ bordÐ µr and placÐ µs thÐ µm in a spacÐ µ whÐ µrÐ µ confrontation, dialoguÐ µ, and Ð µyÐ µ-to-Ð µyÐ µ contact bÐ µcomÐ µ inÐ µvitablÐ µ (Old Gringo Analysis para 12). ThÐ µ gÐ µnÐ µral and thÐ µ gringo lookÐ µd at Ð µach othÐ µr in silÐ µncÐ µ, communicating from oppositÐ µ sidÐ µs of a dÐ µÃ µp chasm (FuÐ µntÐ µs 43). AmÐ µricans always movÐ µd WÐ µst, but until thÐ µ RÐ µvolution, MÐ µxicans had nÐ µvÐ µr movÐ µd at all. YÐ µs, thÐ µ gringos did. ThÐ µy spÐ µnt thÐ µir livÐ µs crossing frontiÐ µrs, thÐ µirs and thosÐ µ that bÐ µlongÐ µd to othÐ µrs (FuÐ µntÐ µs 44-46).

Business Environment and Strategic Management Essay

Business Environment and Strategic Management - Essay Example After 1960, the company focused on production of cars and it hit the market with the Civic which was an eco-friendly and economic vehicle once again winning the hearts of American drivers, it went on to make the accord which became the most popular vehicle in the United States. Honda has since then diversified its products and today it is also involved in the manufacture of solar cells, Aircraft through its subsidiary company Honda Aircraft, power generators among other products. However its main business is the production of vehicles, it is the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in Japan and it ranked 3rd car company in the world after Toyota and ford motors. Today, Hondas leading market is in North America where their revenues were highest compered to its other global markets (Parker, 2001). It is the second most popular Asian car brand in the United States after Toyota and is set to grow even bigger being the only vehicle with a fuel cell engine certified for US where the standar ds are highest in the world (Trade.govermnets.com, 2010). Its main competitors both in America and globally are Toyota and ford which have larger supply and distributor networks. In the last fiscal year, the companies’ profits Quadrupled showing a strong recovery after the earthquakes in Japan; it is predicting an even bigger profit in the next fiscal years with projections of up to 7.7 billion USD. Analysis of the current business environment affecting the industry In the cause of the last few years, recession and the subsequent by economic uncertainty has resulted in a serious decline in the motor vehicle industry, the sales of motor vehicles fell to the lowest point since the 70s. While Japanese firms like Toyota and Honda are still major players in the market, in the last few years they have suffered severe setbacks, which American and Korean firms exploited to increase their competitive advantage in the industry. Toyota for instance lost much of its competitive advantage by yielding too much ground base on its bottom line and lost the confidence of many of its customers. Japan, which is the mother country of Toyota and Honda, was also hit by a double calamity in the Japan earth quake and the tsunami, the two firms suffered major losses and setbacks in production and distribution as a result (Newman, 2013). The shortage that ensued drove American customers away from the Japanese manufactures to other suppliers in America Europe and other parts of Asia such as Korea and India. Toyota’s earnings went down by 2.3 percent and Honda lost 1.6 percent in earnings for the year 2011. Unfortunately for European auto makers, they were not able to benefit much from Japans misfortune since Europe was also embroiled in a crisis of its own albeit it an economic one, European Union countries were in the worst recession ever and the financial crisis almost crippled the manufacturing industry.