UK Supermarkets Competitive Strategy

UK Supermarkets Competitive Strategy Evaluate how UK supermarkets use market segmentation, targeting and positioning to gain a competitive advantage. 1. Introduction This paper sets out to apply basic segmentation, targeting and positioning concepts to the UK supermarket sector and will evaluate the extent to which the use of these concepts is leading to the achievement of sustainable competitive advantage with any or all of the supermarkets selected. The focus will be on the three major supermarkets: Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury. The paper will begin with an explanation of the concepts and will move on to a description of the strategic positioning of each of the major supermarkets in the current marketplace. Chapter 4 will evaluate the relative success of the three companies chosen and assess the extent to which their approach to segmentation and positioning has enabled them to achieve some measure of competitive advantage. Sources of information are: recognised marketing textbooks, articles from learned journals, newspapers and periodicals and company annual reports and websites. 2. Definitions, explanations and questions 2.1 Definitions of the basic concepts Jobber defines segmentation as â€Å"the identification of individuals or organisations with similar characteristics which have significant implications for the determination of marketing strategy.† [1] It is a process which results in the clustering of people with supposedly similar buying behaviour, such that marketing mixes can be designed to meet the specific needs and wants of people within the cluster. Once the market has been described in terms of an amalgam of homogeneous segments, companies need to decide which, if any, segments to target. Should they adopt a â€Å"niche† approach (like Morgan in the automobile sector), where only one type of vehicle is produced for a specific segment of the market, or should they adopt a â€Å"mass market coverage† approach (like Ford or GM), where vehicles are produced to appeal to the whole range of different requirements across the different segments? Positioning describes the manner by which a company differentiates its products/services from the competition within each target market. Sometimes these differences are very fine. Mercedes and BMW both have, for example, quality images and are priced high relative to most competitors but Mercedes has historically had a greater appeal among older, more conservative drivers and BMW has appealed more to those who see themselves as dynamic and thrusting.[2] 2.2 Segmentation rationale At one level the segmentation process enables companies to tailor their products or services to meet the needs of the market better than competitors and to choose segments which are aligned with their capabilities as a company. They are also able to select segments which are large enough for them to supply efficiently. Segmentation therefore facilitates differentiation, which should improve competitiveness, which should, in turn, lead to higher profitability. Barwise and Meehan draw attention to a possible fallacy in this form of reasoning. They cite the example of the different positioning strategies of One2One (now T-Mobile) and Orange in the battle for market share in the UK mobile telecoms market.[3] Orange offered â€Å"to provide a reliable, high quality overall customer experience with good value for money†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(they) targeted the whole market, not just a specific segment.† [4] One2One, on the other hand, adopted a strongly focused, segmentation strategy. â€Å"†¦it positioned itself as a low-cost, friendly network suitable for people wanting to chat with friends†¦priority on big cities†¦free off-peak local calls.† [5] By far the most successful company (Orange) was the one which offered generic category benefits to the whole market, not a highly segmented approach. This is relevant to an understanding of success in the supermarket sector and will be referred to later. 2.3 Different forms of segmentation Marketing text books describe three basic types of segmentation: Behavioural Psychographic Profile The behavioural category covers: benefits sought, purchasing behaviour and product usage and perceptions and beliefs. The psychographic category covers: lifestyles and personality breakdowns The broad profile category covers: age, gender, stage in the life cycle, social class, geographic location, income.[6] Often a combination of variables across the categories is used. Research Services Ltd, a UK marketing research company, has developed SAGACITY, a segmentation scheme based on a combination of life cycle, occupation and income. They form 12 distinct consumer groupings with differing aspirations and behaviour patterns.[7] A.C. Nielsen, the international marketing research agency, uses a combination of all segmentation categories to describe types of shoppers in supermarkets. They break the market down into 6 distinct groupings: Habit-bound Diehards Comfortable and Contenteds Mercenaries Struggling Idealists Frenzied Copers Self-indulgents [8] The purpose of this breakdown appears to be to: match product and service delivery to the needs and wants of the different segments to identify the potentially most profitable segments One interesting point which emerged from this programme was that segments such as the â€Å"Struggling Idealists† were, at the time the TV programme was made in 2002, not of great interest to supermarkets as they did not spend a lot and insisted on organic and eco-friendly products, which did not seem to be of interest to the mass market . In just 4 years the market has changed dramatically and supermarkets are allocating significantly more shelf-space to such products and aim to attract shoppers with â€Å"green† values.[9] The segment has grown in terms of its potential value to supermarkets. This highlights the need for a creative and dynamic approach to segmentation. Orange now uses data-mining software within a sophisticated CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system to monitor segments on a day-to-day basis and to adjust its service approach accordingly. It will, for example adjust its pricing and service delivery to the value of the customer. Premium customers are immediately recognised by call-centres and accorded priority in the queuing system.[10] This keen focus on the most profitable customers contrasts with most supermarkets, which offer separate tills for customers who have not bought much, allowing them to move more quickly through the checkouts than the customers with laden trolleys. This will again be referred to in later sections. 2.4 Competitive Advantage Finally, in this chapter, a few clarifying words on the meaning, and sources, of competitive advantage, with specific reference to the supermarket sector. Grant defines the concept as follows: â€Å"When two firms compete†¦one firm possesses a competitive advantage over the other when it earns a higher rate of profit or has the potential to earn a higher rate of profit.†[11] It is important to note the main point here; competitive advantage relates to profitability or potential profitability, not to revenue, market share or more qualitative measures such as image or reputation. This is the definition which will be applied in this paper. The international consulting company, Accenture, published last year a paper called â€Å"Consuming Passions†, a study of the six leading global retailers. One of its aims was to identify the common factors which led to their high performance in the market over a long period of time.[12] It identified six core competencies which underpin high performance in the retail sector: strategic intent customer focus innovation and commercialisation operational excellence alliances and collaboration talent management[13] In the introduction to the paper the authors state: â€Å"The name of the winning game is differentiation that is meaningful and relevant to the customer base. But this isn’t just a matter of offering new products and services; those products and services must also be highly distinctive, relevant to target customers and in the right stores, with the right price and promotion combination and at the right time.†[14] These ideas will be developed further in the next chapter when examining the individual supermarket companies. 3. The Major Supermarkets 3.1 Overview The UK supermarket sector is highly concentrated. The five leading companies together have 73% of the total market. Only France has a more concentrated market, with 78% being taken up by the top five.[15] Until the mid 1990s Sainsburys was market leader but the number one position was taken by Tesco in 1996 and they have since grown market share to 30% plus of the UK market. Sainsbury is now in third position behind Asda, which was bought by Walmart in 1999. The paragraphs below briefly describe the current financial situation of each company, their strategic marketing focus and the extent to which each appears to be applying segmentation approaches. Most of the information comes from the respective company websites. 3.2 Tesco[16] In 2005 Tesco achieved sales turnover of  £37.1 bill. and profits of  £2,029m. Profits and sales have grown consistently over the past 5 years. Profits from 2004-5 grew by 20.5% on sales growth of 12.4%. The company employs 360,000 people worldwide and has 2,000 stores. 111 new stores are planned for 2006. Its long-term strategy is based on four parts: growth in the core UK business expansion from international growth to be as strong in non-food as in food to follow customers into new retailing services Tesco appears to take customer focus and staff focus very seriously. An ongoing project entitled â€Å"Every Little Helps† is in process which has used question times with more than 9,000 customers to help them to understand how they can best improve service to customers on a day-to-day basis. This has resulted in parking bays for trolleys (to stop annoying customers), extra staff on checkouts (to reduce waiting times) and fresh food counters and self-service cafes for customers in a hurry. Using their Clubcard as the data source Tesco send out mailings every quarter to 11million customers. The mailings have an annualised value to customers (if they use them) of  £250m. and can be adjusted to take account of individual customer buying behaviour. Tesco has a range of different stores in line with its belief that: â€Å"Customers have different needs at different times so we tailor our stores as well as our products. From Value to Finest and from Express to Extra, there’s something for everyone at Tesco.†[17] Value products are low-priced basics for customers on a tight budget. Finest are products with the finest ingredients for customers who appreciate fine food and are prepared to pay higher prices for higher quality. Express are smaller stores in local communities for people who would find it difficult to get to a large Tesco store. Metro are stores in town and city centres for the convenience of customers who prefer to shop in town rather than in the Superstores out of town. These Superstores are particularly for one-stop shoppers who can find â€Å"everything they need for their weekly shopping†[18]. They carry not only a wide range of food lines but also the most popular Tesco non-food lines. Tesco Extra is a major new development focusing on non-.food lines, but with extensive food and convenience lines. As only 20% of the UK population has access to such stores Tesco intends opening 20 more this year. For all health-conscious customers (viz. the â€Å"struggling idealists† in 2.3) Tesco has introduced better labelling, diet guides and â€Å"Free-from† and organic ranges. For price-conscious customers who also like good service they have introduced the â€Å"Step Change† programme and â€Å"Everyday Low Pricing†. For the growing number of customers who prefer to order from home and get home deliveries Tesco provides an on-line service which now supplies 150,000 customers/day. 3.3 Asda It is difficult to obtain separate financial results for Asda Wal-Mart as the figures are hidden away in Wal-Mart’s consolidated accounts. The corporate website in the UK is also not nearly as transparent about strategic and marketing issues as Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose and Morrisons. Figures therefore, for the most part, need to be gleaned from outside sources or estimated. Figures quoted below are taken, for the most part, from Datamonitor.[19] In 2005 Asda had a sales turnover of  £16.25bill., a growth of 19.8% over the previous year. Since Wal-Mart bought the company in 1999 market share in the UK has risen from 13% to 16%, putting them in second position ahead of Sainsbury. The company has 265 Asda stores, 19 superstores, 1 pilot store in General Merchandising and 6 trial George stores specialising in fashion clothing. The company plans to open 10-12 new stores each year. â€Å"60% of Asda’s sales are currently in grocery items, although it intends to build on the growth of non-food products in store, which may well change this balance. Asda sells six own-brand labels: Asda Smartprice, Asda, Good for You, Asda Organic, Asda Extra Special and More for Kids.†[20] Asda management appears to plan to grow in the future via more stores, a focus on clothing (via its George fashion range Asda has now overtaken Marks and Spencer as the UK’s largest clothing retailer[21])and non-food, growth from specialist outlets within the stores: opticians, jewellers and photographic and possibly a greater push into the children’s market. Their main marketing thrust – in-line with the Wal-Mart reputation – is to be seen by the mass market as the price leader. They in fact claimed to be the â€Å"official lowest price supermarket in the UK† but this was based on a survey of just 33 lines and, after complaints from Tesco, the claim had to be lifted.[22] Since Wal-Mart’s takeover of Asda there has been an ongoing price war with Sainsbury and Tesco, which has raised Asda’s profile as a low-price store. Apart from price the main differentiators are the twin focuses on non-food and clothing and the particular focus on the kids market. Like Tesco and Sainsburys they are also trying to attract higher income and â€Å"green† customers with its â€Å"Good for You†, â€Å"Organics† and â€Å"Asda Extra Special† brands. They also have an on-line ordering and delivery service. Asda undoubtedly has an image problem because of its association with Wal-Mart. â€Å"Asda has been criticised for misleading advertising, using suppliers who are known to have illegal employment practices, ignoring planning regulations and destroying greenbelt land, lack of serious environmental policy and blatant greenwash. With its ‘strategy of consolidation’, copied directly from Wal-Mart, Asda pursues an aggressive takeover policy of small towns, wiping out local competition and local jobs. False claims by the company about value and convenience, have been challenged, along with the exploitation of every opportunity to push impulse buying.†[23] No specific evidence was found, but negative information, such as the above about Wal-Mart, abounds on the internet and it is probable that this will make it more difficult for Asda to position itself such that it attracts the more educated, aware customers. 3.4 J Sainsbury Sainsbury achieved total sales in 2005 of  £16.36bill. and profits after tax of  £65m. This compared with slightly lower sales in the previous year and a significantly larger profit then of  £404m.[24] Sainsbury appears to be struggling. It has suffered from severe price competition from Asda and Tesco and also failed to implement effectively a new logistics system, which resulted in severe out-of-stock problems which alienated customers. The company has 727 stores in all, 465 of which are supermarkets and 262 are the smaller convenience stores. It employs 153,000 people. Sainsbury is currently undergoing a change programme entitled â€Å"Making Sainsbury’s Great Again 2007/8†[25]. Some elements of this programme are very relevant to its positioning in the market. In line with Barwise and Meehan’s thinking on â€Å"generic category benefits†[26] Sainsbury wish to restore the universal appeal of the brand. This comprises four elements: be all inclusive (appeal to all segments of the market) have a clear product hierarchy: GOOD, BETTER, BEST (not assuming that certain segments go for a defined quality of product but that all customers chop and change). invest in price and quality ( £400m in 2006) scale to succeed (ensure that there is sufficient overall demand in the chosen products/markets to get costs down to a manageable level) This all translates into a customer proposition which their annual report describes as follows: great food/fair prices market leaders in quality and innovation complementary non-food straightforward formats: supermarkets, convenience and Sainsbury’s to You(on-line) bank Sainsbury advertising focuses on two messages: we have reduced price on 4000 lines â€Å"Try something new today† The former has clear universal appeal and aims to enable Sainsbury to compete on price with Asda and Tesco. The former appears to be focused more on higher income categories (the â€Å"Self-indulgents† and â€Å"Comfortable and Contenteds† mentioned in 2.3. 4. Conclusions and final thoughts In a 1994 article on segmentation in the retail sector the following statement is made: â€Å"†¦any strategic option depends on clear positioning against competitors and customer groups (and the ) approach of integrating competitive analysis with market segmentation is a necessary first step to achieving a better understanding of the retailing environment and formulating effective marketing strategies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦supermarket retailers must attract customers from different and often incompatible market segments.† [27] This statement still appears to have validity to-day. All three supermarkets mentioned in this paper wish to attract customers from the higher income AB socio-economic category by offering them better service, high quality and tasty foods, organic foods and a clean and welcoming atmosphere. These customers will spend more and will buy products which offer the retailer higher margins. At the same time all supermarkets seek to position themselves as low price operators, thus appealing to lower income groups and those across all income groups who seek bargains (the â€Å"mercenaries† in 2.3). It is the observation of the writer that Tesco is clearly the most successful at positioning itself to appeal to both ends of the spectrum. According to data in Morrisons’ 2005 annual report about 25% of Sainsbury’s customers fall into the AB category whereas with Tesco it is only 20% and with Asda it is about 17%. Asda on the other hand (from the same annual report) rates very highly in terms of customer perception of value for money, Tesco is slightly lower and Sainsbury is even below Waitrose, a store which is traditionally associated with high prices. All realise that location is vital and that even to-day’s motorised customer will not put herself about too much to go to stores too far away. Hence all are moving towards the development of smaller stores to attract local communities. All use brand loyalty cards, but Tesco appears to be the most successful at using data on the card to enable it to adjust offerings to individual customer requirements. There are great similarities between the companies and their marketing approaches. Each follows the other very closely. What appears to make Tesco stand out is not so much a more sophisticated approach to segmentation and differentiation, but – one of the key competencies in the Accenture report, â€Å"Consuming Passions†[28] its ability to combine a clear strategy with operational excellence. At the time of writing (April 25, 2006) Tesco has just released performance figures for the past 12 months. They indicate a 13.2% growth in sales and a 16.7% growth in before tax profit. [29] BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Barwise B. and Meehan S (2004), Simply Better, Harvard Business School Press Grant RM (1997), Contemporary Strategic Analysis, Blackwell Jobber D. (2004), Principles and Practice of Marketing, McGraw Hill Kotler P. and Armstrong G.(2004), Principles of Marketing, Prentice Hall Journals/Reports Anonymous author of â€Å"Asda Group Limited† in Datamonitor, June, 2005 Anonymous author of â€Å"Organics UK† in Mintel Report, November 2005 Mann S., Smith J. and Trouvà © O. (2006), â€Å"Consuming Passions†, Accenture industry report in Outlook 2005 Segal M. and Giacobbe R. (1994), â€Å"Market Segmentation and Competitive Analysis for Supermarket Retailing†, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Vol.22, No.1, pp.38-48 Internet sources www.asda.co.uk www.corporatewatch.org.uk www.guardian.co.uk www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/textbooks/jobber www.morrisons.co.uk www.npr.org www.sainsbury.co.uk www.tesco.com Footnotes [1] Jobber (2004), Principles and Practice of Marketing, p. 210 [2] From A to B, Channel 4, 1998 [3] Barwise and Meehan (2004), Simply Better, p. 4 [4] Barwise and Meehan, pp. 3-4 [5] Barwise and Meehan, pp. 4-5 [6] Jobber, p. 214 [7] Jobber, p. 224 [8] Shop ‘till you drop, Channel 4, 2002 [9] Organics UK, November, 2005, Mintel Report [10] Orange: a Fruitful Passion, supplementary case on the Jobber website, www.mcgraw- hill.co.uk/textbooks/jobber [11] Grant R.M., Contemporary Strategic Analysis, p.151 [12] Mann S., Smith J. and Trouvà © O., Consuming Passions, Accenture, 2005 [13] Mann et al, p. 9 [14] Mann et al, p.3 [15] Mann et al, p.7 [16] www.tesco.com [17] www.tesco.com [18] www.tesco.,com [19] Asda Group Limited, Datamonitor, June, 2005 [20] Asda Wal-Mart: a Corporate Profile, www.corporatewatch.org.uk, Nov. 2004 [21] www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,1288594,00.html [22] Th e Marketplace Report: Wal-Mart’s UK Strategy, www.npr.org, August 17, 2005 [23] www.corporatewatch.org.uk, November 2004 [24] www.sainsbury.co.uk Annual Report 2005 [25]www.sainsbury.co.uk Annual Report 2005 [26] Barwise and Meehan(2004), Simply Better [27] Segal M and Giacobbe R (1994), Market Segmentation and Competitive Analysis for Supermarket Retailing, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, p. 45 [28] Mann, Smith and Trouvà ©, Consuming Passions [29] tesco.com, press release on April 25, 2006

Choice theory

The term choice theory has originated from the work of Dr. William Glasser, MD, an American psychiatrist from Cleveland, Ohio; and which was popularized through his book of the same title released in 1998. Choice theory is the culmination of Glasser’s research work on psychology and counseling spanning 50 years. It used to called control theory, and is the foundation of Glasser’s Reality Therapy, a particular approach used in psychotherapy and counseling which was developed in the 1960’s. This approach focuses on the present emotional status of a person and the possible ways on creating a better future, instead of concentrating on his past.Reality therapy establishes a person’s ability in making decisions, taking actions in his life, and being able to control his life. This approach allows a person in discovering what they really want in their lives, and learns whether their current activities are actually leading them to their actual goals. Reality therap y has gained a decent following in the United States and is now widely used in the field of education. Choice theory considers that behavior is the center of human existence. Human existence is further determined by the five genetically driven needs, which includes survival, belonging, power, freedom, and fun.According to Maslow, survival includes man’s basic biological needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. The remaining four are the fundamental psychological needs. This theory considers that among the five, the most important need is love, or belonging, due to the fact that a person’s closeness to the people he love and care about is an essential factor in satisfying all the five needs. Choice theory also includes the â€Å"seven caring habits†: supporting, encouraging, listening, accepting, trusting, respecting, and negotiating differences.Against these habits are the â€Å"seven deadly habits†: criticizing, blaming, complaining, nagging, threateni ng, punishing, and bribing or rewarding in order to control. Choice theory and the seven caring habits are aimed to replace and counteract the so-called external control psychology and the seven deadly habits, which is believed to be the present state of mind of most people in the world. The seven deadly habits are believed to be destroying relationships because it ruins a person’s ability to find satisfaction in his relationship.This further results to people getting disconnected from the people they care about, and which would prove to be the cause of most problems in the society at present: illnesses, depression, substance abuse, and uncontrolled violence, and rising crime rates. Choice theory then presents ten axioms, and these are: 1. The only person whose behavior we can control is our own. 2. All we can give another person is information. 3. All long-lasting psychological problems are relationship problems. 4. The problem relationship is always part of our present life . 5.What happened in the past has everything to do with what we are today, but we can only satisfy our basic needs right now and plan to continue satisfying them in the future. 6. We can only satisfy our needs by satisfying the pictures in our Quality World. 7. All we do is behave. 8. All behavior is Total Behavior and is made up of four components: acting, thinking, feeling and physiology. 9. All Total Behavior is chosen, but we only have direct control over the acting and thinking components. We can only control our feeling and physiology indirectly through how we choose to act and think. 10.All Total Behavior is designated by verbs and named by the part that is the most recognizable. The idea of the existence of a â€Å"quality world† is presented by choice theory, which states that a person, beginning at birth and throughout his life, places everything important to him, including people, his beliefs, materials things, and other valuables into this world. The person then b ehaves throughout his life to achieve a real world based on his quality world. Related to the ideas of a person’s real and quality worlds is the â€Å"comparing place† where the real world is compared to the quality world.With the idea of â€Å"total behavior†, Glasser believes that among the four components, a person can only exert control over two, which are acting and thinking; and have limited capacity to influence the other two, feeling and physiology. As these four are interconnected, the manner by which a person acts and thinks has tremendous impact on his feelings and physiology. Glasser’s choice theory is one that is based psychology. The theory further states that most mental illnesses being experienced by most people in the world are caused by unhappiness.Mental illness is actually brought about by a person’s unhappiness and dissatisfaction in life. Although contested by most mainstream psychiatrists, Glasser’s theory is now used in a wider range of social issues including education, family, management, and mental health. His theories have gained popularity not only in the United States where they are most commonly used in education, but also in the global arena. Glasser’s choice theory is all about being able to choose how to live happily, how to make better decisions that satisfy a person’s need, how to responsibly take action, and how to take control of one’s life.This theory is all about living satisfactorily in order to lessen unhappiness, promote better relationships among people, and therefore eliminate mental illness in the world today. Sources: Furr, Lee W. and W. Hugh Furr. (2006, March 14). Choice Theory Psychology. [Electronic Document]. http://www. choicetheory. com/ The William Glasser Institute. (2006, May 11). Choice Theory. [Electronic Document]. http://www. wglasser. com/whatisct. htm Schneller, Peter L. (2005, August 30). Choice Theory. [Electronic Document]. http://ra ider. muc. edu/~schnelpl/Control Theory – Overhead. html

Narrative style of the novel Essay

Comment on how the language contributes to the understanding of the character, plots, theme and narrative style of the novel Chapter 6 is presented to the audience entirely in the past with no hindsight. Once again it develops the plot showing the children developing closer to adulthood, yet still not quite there, not understanding the consequences of their actions : â€Å"was it you two? â€Å", â€Å"I look away†. The language from the passage in the hard back page 111 to 113 contributes to the understanding of the characters, plots, themes and narrative style of the novel. The section about the hierarchy in trees only further reinforces the naivety and stupidity to the character Stephen. Stephen has an obvious sense of hierarchy and in this case the â€Å"sour smell of the elders† and â€Å"its humiliating position at the very bottom of the hierarchy of trees†. This continues into the â€Å"familiar world† â€Å"out here at the end of the Lanes†, ie: the hierarchy of humans where the levels convey Stephen’s actual opinion of the concept of hierarchy and social status. This shows how immature Stephen is and however evident is his naivety. See more: what is a narrative essay In hindsight Frayn exposes the audience to the intentional irony of the â€Å"sliver framed heroes† at the highest to the lowest – â€Å"an old derelict taking refuge† who are the same person. Frayn has emphasised this hierarchy from the beginning. Stephen feels in triumph that for once he perceives himself higher than someone else in the â€Å"human precedence† and the language emphatically robusts this. This only reinforces that younger is obsessed with hierarchy – only after the discussion of hierarchy is there a sense of realisation. The language in this passage contributes the understanding in the theme of mystery and adventure. Stephen relies on this adventure to prove himself to Keith and in doing so show â€Å"Keith that he’s not the only one who can think of plans and projects†. The use of personal pronoun ‘I’ used more frequently than other times (7) conveys Stephen’s awareness that at this point in the adventure, wherein he can contribute, is a way he can gain approval of others even at the exploitation of the tramp. The passage for the first time shows an all time low in the adventure and â€Å"rain blows† as deliberate violence. This marks a key turning point in the plot as they have to fine some reason for their expedition as they have lost Mrs Hayward. The language used to describe the â€Å"old mans† feelings are just some of the feelings evoked that explain exactly what the boys have been doing bullying, and in doing so, the language also introduces the theme of memory. Frayn draws attention to this key theme by making older Stephen interrupt his story to remind the audience that the Stephen who was once a victim of bullying is now the perpetrator. This narrative style is a device that suggests implausibly that older Stephen is telling the story and also draws attention to memory as a concept and theme. Not only that, but it helps the reader understand that the reason â€Å"I (Stephen) throw down my iron bar†, is to reflect what Stephen knew at that point in time is that what he was doing was bullying. In this passage Frayns presents the language as a way of children going on to do adult things but without adult hindsight and therefore reminds the audience that they are still developing unable to foresee the consequences of their actions. The language is deceptively simple in style, but the passage in Chapter 6 shows a subtlety in language. From the beginning of the passage Stephen shows this middle class social ranking which leads him into his so called heroism that is particularly associated with middle class values. This duty he is estranged with towards Keith was particularly powerful conception in times of war and for Stephen it shows a development in his character and what he is prepared to do out of duty for Keith. Thus, Frayn cleverly uses linguistic devices and in this case exploits the language in order to contribute to the understanding of the characters, plot, themes and narrative style of the novel.

Who knew the two most powerful African Americans that...

Who knew the two most powerful African Americans that influence countless of people in history and wrote their one of many most inspirational work while locked up in jail? Martin Luther King Jr. was incarcerated because the city officials issued a court injunction to prohibit the civil rights marches in Birmingham. Whereas, Malcolm x was arrested for burglary while trying to pick up a stolen watch he had left for repairs at a jewelry shop. The fight for civil right was taken in the 1960s, where racism was a problem. Whites discriminated blacks because they thought they werent equal to them. This is where Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X come in, they are well known African Americans leaders who fought for what they believed, in many†¦show more content†¦Moreover, one of the most famous civil rights acts conducted by King was the march on Washington. It took place on August 28, 1963, and over 20,000 people came from Washington to Lincoln memorial in Washington D.C to march . Instead of fighting back with bombing the whites community or violence king decided that the march would be more powerful. This March happened to be Kings greatest accomplishment through his life. Martin Luther King Jr. believes may had unfolded from his household he came from and grew up in. In comparison, Malcom x was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. Unlike Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom x grew up in a non-privileged environment that was hateful with barely any education. He was a convict who, during his sentence, he educated himself past the eighth grade level to the understanding of the civil rights of African Americans. While incarcerated he began to study and became interested in black history and slavery. The history of African Americans led him to become the Minister of Muhammad and fight for African Americans civil rights. In the â€Å"Homemade Education† by Malcolm X, he says â€Å"Book after book showed me how the white man had brought upon the worlds black,Show MoreRelatedAfrican American Girls With Curly Hair1691 Words   |  7 Pagestruth to my heritage going back to Egypt’s royalty times as the broad focus that permutated from the continent of Africa. The teaching of ‘race’ was subliminal applied i n my adolescent years when I received black dolls and coloring books with African American girls with curly hair. Understanding that despite the white Walt Disney’s princess on the television that I too was a ‘Princess’ or ‘Queen’, and this was the goal that my mother and father strived to accomplish. My parents did not attempt toRead MoreEssay about The Development of Black Playwright3240 Words   |  13 PagesBlack theater is as old as the first tribes in Africa who would dance with wooden masks to represent gods or legends (Kerr, p3). The playwrights of this time were the Griots, who were known as the keepers of history in African tribes and mark the beginning of African literary tradition (Freeman.) But when does the development of black playwright actually take off? The first black playwright in history is Terence Afer, who was born around 159 BC (Arnott). He was taken to Rome as a slave, and becauseRead More The Psychedelic Sixties Essay3476 Words   |  14 PagesWhat better line to epitomize the feeling of the Americans throughout the chaos and turmoil of one of the most memorable decades in United States history, than this quote in the Jefferson Airplane song quot;Volunteers?quot; The people of the time were utterly awestricken by the horrors they were being forced to endure, and they decided they would do the best they could to publicize their total disgust for the United States approach to its people. 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For example, he surrounded himself with books not only to read them, but also to show them to others so that they would admire him for his apparent prodigious facility and understanding in countless subjects.Read MoreSAT Top 30 Essay Evidence18536 Words   |  75 Pages.................................................................................... 5 Christopher Columbus (â€Å"Discoverer† of the New World?)........................................................................ 7 Sacajawea (Mysterious Native American Guide) ....................................................................................... 9 Artists, Authors, and Musicians: Bob Dylan (â€Å"The Prophet of Rock and Roll†) ......................................................................Read MoreEssay on The Mirroring Lives of a Jamaican and a Rastafarian4081 Words   |  17 Pagesa Jamaican and a Rastafarian Introduction This paper is a series of two interviews that I had over the course of the semester. I used both of the interviews as a series of research. I then used this research and supported it with published work. The first interview occurred when I was in Jamaica. I randomly crossed paths with Peter. He informed my friends and I that he was a Rastafarian. We spoke with him for about two hours on the beach. He informed us about his religion and his lifestyle.Read MoreSlavery and Black Thunder8056 Words   |  33 PagesVirginia. The novel, which chronicles the Gabriel Prosser-led rebellion against the slave owners of Henrico County, was generally lauded by critics as one of the most significant black American works of fiction. Richard Wright praised the work for dealing forthrightly with the historical and revolutionary traditions of African Americans. Gabriel, a slave convinced that anything â€Å"equal to a grey squirrel wants to be free,† urges other slaves to revolt against their owners. The rebellion is hastenedRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesBrier, and Roy Rosenzweig Also in this series: Paula Hamilton and Linda Shopes, eds., Oral History and Public Memories Tiffany Ruby Patterson, Zora Neale Hurston and a History of Southern Life Lisa M. Fine, The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown, U.S.A. Van Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America Joanne Meyerowitz, ed., History and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David MRead MoreStatement of Purpose23848 Words   |  96 Pages........................................................................................................ 9 Geography ............................................................................................................................. 11 History................................................................................................................................... 12 Psychology (Clinical--research).................................................................................Read MoreBrazil Culture17445 Words   |  70 Pagescountry’s tourism well developed, has beautiful beaches, and famous carnivals. Lots of tourists choose Brazil to have fun. Therefore tourism has an important and large placement in country’s economy. The Brazilians are friendly and helpful people. While we were doing this research we enjoyed very much. We hope you will enjoy and learn useful information about Brazil. We hope you will work with Brazilians and those informations will be very useful for you. Brazilian economy is developing