Analysis of Feathers, a Short Story by Raymond Carver

American poet and author Raymond Carver (1938 — 1988) is one of those rare writers who is known, like  Alice Munro, primarily for his work in the short story form. Due to his economical use of language, Carver is often associated with a literary movement known as minimalism, but he himself objected to the term. In a 1983 interview, he said, Theres something about minimalist that smacks of smallness of vision and execution that I dont like. Feathers is the opening story of Carvers 1983 collection, Cathedral, in which he began to move away from the minimalist style. Plot of Feathers SPOILER ALERT: If you dont want to know what happens in the story, dont read this section. The narrator, Jack, and his wife, Fran, are invited to dinner at the home of Bud and Olla. Bud and Jack are friends from work, but no one else in the story has met before. Fran is not enthusiastic about going.   Bud and Olla live in the country and have a baby and a pet peacock. Jack, Fran, and Bud watch television while Olla prepares dinner and occasionally tends to the baby, who is fussing in another room. Fran notices a plaster cast of very crooked teeth sitting on top of the television. When Olla enters the room, she explains that Bud paid for her to have braces, so she keeps the cast to remind me how much I owe Bud. During dinner, the baby begins fussing again, so Olla brings him to the table. He is shockingly  ugly, but  Fran holds him  and delights in him in spite of his appearance. The peacock is permitted inside the house and plays gently with the baby. Later that night, Jack and Fran conceive a child even though they had not previously wanted children. As the years pass, their marriage sours and their child demonstrates a conniving streak. Fran blames their problems on Bud and Olla even though she saw them only on that one night. Wishes Wishes play a prominent role in the story. Jack explains that he and Fran regularly wished out loud for things we didnt have, like a new car or the chance to spend a couple of weeks in Canada. They dont wish for children because they dont want children. It is clear that the wishes arent serious. Jack acknowledges as much when he describes approaching Bud and Ollas house: I said, I wish we had us a place out here. It was just an idle thought, another wish that wouldnt amount to anything. In contrast, Olla is a character who has actually made her wishes come true. Or rather, she and Bud together have made her wishes come true. She tells Jack and Fran: I always dreamed of having me a peacock. Since I was a girl and found a picture of one in a magazine. The peacock is loud and exotic. Neither Jack nor Fran has ever seen one before, and it is much more dramatic than any of the idle wishes theyve been making. Yet Olla, an unassuming woman with an ugly baby and teeth that needed straightening, has made it a part of her life. Blame Though Jack would place the date later, Fran believes their marriage began to deteriorate precisely on the night they had dinner at Bud and Ollas, and she blames Bud and Olla for it. Jack explains: Goddamn those people and their ugly baby, Fran will say, for no apparent reason, while were watching TV late at night. Carver never makes it clear exactly what Fran blames them for, nor does he make it clear exactly why the dinner gathering inspires Jack and Fran to have a baby. Perhaps its because Bud and Olla seem so happy with their strange, squawking-peacock, ugly-baby lives. Fran and Jack dont think they want the particulars — a child, a house in the country, and certainly not a peacock — yet perhaps they find they do want the contentedness that Bud and Olla seem to have. And in some ways, Olla does give the impression that her happiness is a direct result of the particulars of her situation. Olla compliments Fran on her naturally straight teeth while she herself had required braces — and Buds devotion — to fix her crooked smile. At one point, Olla says, You wait until you get our own baby, Fran. Youll see. And as Fran and Jack are leaving, Olla even hands Fran some peacock feathers to take home. Gratitude But  Fran seems to be missing one fundamental element that Olla has: gratitude. When Olla explains how grateful she is to Bud for straightening her teeth (and, more generally, giving her a better life), Fran doesnt hear her because she is picking through the can of nuts, helping herself to the cashews. The impression is that Fran is self-centered, so focused on her own needs that she cant even hear someone elses expression of gratitude. Similarly, it seems symbolic that when Bud says grace, Olla is the only one who says amen. Where Happiness Comes From Jack does note one wish that came true: What I wished for was that Id never forget or otherwise let go of that evening. Thats one wish of mine that came true. And it was bad luck for me that it did. The evening seemed very special to him, and it left him feeling good about almost everything in my life. But he and Fran may have miscalculated where that good feeling was coming from, thinking it came from having things, like a baby, rather than feeling things, like love and appreciation.

Panera Bread Is Implementing A Broad Differentiation Strategy

IDENTIFICATION: Currently Panera Bread is implementing a broad differentiation strategy. Panera’s target market focuses on urban workers and suburban dwellers. Panera’s core concept is to create a unique cafà © experience, while providing high quality fresh baked goods. Panera’s long term strategy includes increasing it’s brand awareness, and to become the leader in the specialty bakery-cafà © segment. In order to achieve this goal, Panera plans to expand its locations, boost earnings per share 15%-20% annually, and increase sales 4%-5% at existing locations. While Panera has established it’s short and long-term goals, they still have a few challenges currently hindering them. The key issues that will be addressed in this paper are as follows. †¢ Increase sales of Panera bakery cafà ©s to rival established franchised cafà ©s, and sustain their current sales growth rate †¢ What can Panera do to attach consumers during dinner time hours? (Currently their menu lacks dinner options) †¢ Should Panera expand operations even if economic conditions continue to be weak? ANALYSIS and EVALUATION After conducting a SWOT analysis I will breakdown my evaluation of Panera as follows, Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats. Strengths: †¢ Panera is currently the leader nationwide in the bakery-cafà © sector †¢ Panera provides high quality food for a great price. Panera’s menu appeals to a variety of customers including health/ weight-conscious consumers. †¢ Panera specializes in artisanShow MoreRelatedPanera Bread Business Strategy1371 Words   |  6 PagesThis paper is about Panera Bread Company and the strategy it employs to become the best brand name of fresh bread in the United States. Panera Bread specializes in providing fresh goods, made-to-order sandwiches, salads, soups, custom roasted coffees and other cafe beverages. The company generates revenues through three business segments: company bakery-cafà © operations, franchise operations and fresh dough operations. The company’s bakery-cafà © operations segment is comprised of the operating activitiesRead MoreA Brief Look at Panera Bread1133 Words   |  5 PagesLouis Kane and Ron Shaich founded a bakery-cafà © enterprise named AU Bon Co, Inc. Panera bread started as Au Bon Pain Company in 1981 with units on the East coast of the U.S.A. In 1993 the company purchased St. Louis Bread Company, which had 20 bakery-cafes in the area. In the following years the bake ry-cafà © names changed to Panera Bread. Units were opened in malls, shopping centers and airports along the east cost of the United States and internationally throughout the 1980s and 1990s: the companyRead MorePanera Bread Case Study Essay4553 Words   |  19 PagesBUS 480 Strategic Audit Michelle Herndon (2012) Case Number and Title Case 32: Panera Bread Company (2010): Still Rising Fortunes? CURRENT SITUATION Panera Bread’s intention is â€Å"to make Panera Bread a nationally recognized brand name and to be the dominant restaurant operator in the specialty bakery-cafà © segment.† Panera experienced competition from many numerous sources in its trade areas. Their competition was with specialty food, casual dining and quick service cafes, bakeries, andRead MorePanera Bread Company9504 Words   |  39 PagesPanera Bread Company Submitted to Dr. Desmarais December 17, 2011 Salem Analytics Catherine O’Neill Yasmeen Kouki David Kirby Christopher Titus Table of Contents Executive Summary Macro-environment Industry Analysis i. ii. iii. iv. v. Industry Drivers Five Forces Changes to the Industry Structure and Competitive Environment Existing Rivals Competitive Capabilities Analysis Key Success Factors Critical Issues the Industry Faces Panera Bread Company’s Competitive Capabilities i. ii.Read MoreOrganization Environment: Starbucks vs. The Competition Essay1066 Words   |  5 Pageselements that exist outside the boundary of the organization and have the potential to affect all or part of the organization (Daft, 2009). One organization that has faced environmental factors which required them to change their current organizational strategy, is the Starbucks Corporation. Starbucks Corporation is considered the top provider of premier coffee products in the world (St. Johns, 2007). Their coffee buyers travel to coffee farms in Latin America, Africa and Asia to select the highestRead Moreidentifying competitive advantage3121 Words   |  13 PagesADVANTAGES Video: Panera Bread Cohesion Case: Competitive Advantage:Business Dilemma To survive and thrive, an organization must create a competitive advantage. A  Ã‚  competitive advantage  is a product or service that an organization s customers place a greater value on than similar offerings from a competitor. Unfortunately, competitive advantages are typically temporary because competitors often seek ways to duplicate the competitive advantage. In turn, organizations must develop a strategy based on aRead MoreH2O Can Expand Operations from Germany Into the Us30890 Words   |  124 PagesOutsourcing Overview of Performance Management Philosophies Analysis of Best Practices – Theory Analysis of Best Practices- Applied Table of Contents (Con’t.) Recommendation PM Program HR Budgets- Components/ Elements Cost Reduction Strategies Budget Cut Recommendations Summary of HR Department Budgeting Challenges Recent Practices from 3-5 US organizations Review of Typical US Rewards Programs. Analysis of Best Practices for Compensation, Benefits, and Perks Consideration

Three African Novels free essay sample

An examination of three books by contemporary African writers. This paper introduces and discusses the books, So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba, Devil on the Cross by Ngg wa Thiongo and Julys People by Nadine Gordimer. Specifically, the author discusses and explains gender and family in So Long a Letter, the aspects of Colonialism and Imperialism in Devil on the Cross, and cultural freedom and integrity in Julys People. In So Long a Letter, Mariama Ba writes of Ramatoulaye, a Senegalese schoolteacher in her 50s, whose husband decides to take a second wife without Ramatoulayes knowledge. Of course, the new wife is younger and prettier than Ramatoulaye, and her husbands selfish move devastates her. The book is written in the form of a touching and emotional letter to her best friend from childhood, someone she feels she can trust. We walked the same paths from adolescence to maturity, where the past begets the present (Ba 1). We will write a custom essay sample on Three African Novels or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

The Internet Essay Example For Students

The Internet Essay The Internet: its effects and its futurewritten by Eva KotsiInternet, its effects in our lives and the future of the Internet:The Internet is, quite literally, a network of networks. It is comprised often thousands of interconnected networks spanning the globe. The computers thatform the Internet range from huge mainframes in research establishments tomodest PCs in peoples homes and offices. Despite the recent hype, the Internetis not a new phenomenon. Its roots lie in a collection of computers that werelinked together in the 1970s to form the US Department of Defensescommunications systems. Fearing the consequences of nuclear attack, there was nocentral computer holding vast amounts of data, rather the information wasdispersed across thousands of machines. A set of rules, of protocols, known asTCP/IP was developed to allow disparate devices to work together. The originalnetwork has long since been upgraded and expanded and TCP/IP is now a defacto standard. We will write a custom essay on The Internet specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Millions of people worldwide are using the Internet to share information,make new associations and communicate. Individuals and businesses, from studentsand journalists, to consultants, programmers and corporate giants are allharnessing the power of the Internet. For many businesses the Internet isbecoming integral to their operations. Imagine the ability to send and receivedata: messages, notes, letters, documents, pictures, video, sound- just aboutany form of communication, as effortlessly as making a phone call. It is easy tounderstand why the Internet is rapidly becoming the corporate communicationsmedium. Using the mouse on your computer, the familiar point-and-clickfunctionality gives you access to electronic mail for sending and receivingdata, and file transfer for copying files from one computer to another. Telnetservices allow you to establish connections with systems on the other side ofthe world as if they were just next door. This flood of information is a beautiful thing and it can only open the mindsof society. With the explosion of the World Wide Web, anyone could publish hisor her ideas to the world. Before, in order to be heard one would have to gothrough publishers who were willing to invest in his ideas to get something putinto print. With the advent of the Internet, anyone who has something to say canbe heard by the world. By letting everyone speak their mind, this opens up allnew ways of thinking to anyone who is willing to listen. Moreover, the Internetis an information resource for you to search, gathering new data on key searchaspects of your market. Perhaps most importantly, the Internet offers a new wayof doing business. A virtual market-place where customers can, at the push of abutton, select goods, place an order and pay using a secure electronictransaction. Businesses are discovering the Internet as the most powerful and costeffective tool in history. The Net provides a faster, more efficient way to workcolleagues, customers, vendors and business partners- irrespective of locationor operating system harnessing this powerful resource gives companies strategicadvantages by leveraging information into essential business asset. Thetechnology of the future here today. This is a fact. Businessesmaking the transition will, and are prospering; however those that do not willmost certainly suffer the consequences. One of the most commonly asked questions is, Will the Net help me sellmore product? The answer is yes, but in ways you might not expect. TheInternet is a communication tool first, not and advertisementmedium. Unlike print or broadcasting media, the Internet is interactive; andunlike the telephone, it is both visual and content rich. A Web site is anexcellent way to reduce costs, improve customer service, disseminate informationand even sell to your market. .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510 , .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510 .postImageUrl , .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510 , .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510:hover , .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510:visited , .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510:active { border:0!important; } .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510:active , .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510 .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udff30ca1076a98271c72fd7a3f194510:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Biography: During his few weeks as Vice President, EssayPerhaps, the most important facts about the internet are that it contains awealth of information, that can be send across the world almost instantly, andthat it can unite people in wildly different locations as if they were next toeach other. The soundest claims for the importance of the Internet in todayssociety are based upon these very facts. People of like minds and interests canshare information with one another through electronic mail and chat rooms. E-mail is enabling radically new forms of worldwide human collaboration. Approximately 225 millions of people can send and receive it and they allrepresent a network of potentially cooperating individuals dwarfing anythingthat even the mightiest corporation or government can muster. Mailing-listdiscussion groups and online conferencing allow us to gather together to work ona multitude of projects that are