Macro Environment Analysis of General Motors (GM)

Macro Environment Analysis of General Motors (GM) In reflecting the macro environment, it is vital for us to identify the factors that might affect the number of variables which can influence the organizations supply and demand levels and the costs as well. The drastic changes in society day by day will create an impact on the function of the whole organization (Allaya, 2008). The political environment is basically the laws and regulations that a particular business has to follow in order to make sure the business owners do not get arrested or being fined for not following the regulations. The domestic market of General Motors in USA has played an important in the political environment of the country. In the last election, the company has contributed almost $802,500 dollars with 52% of that amount given to the Democrats. The company congratulated President Barack Obama on his election by displaying the Detroit Auto Show 2009 as the first African- American president of the United States (Hardigree, 2009). This contribution has improved the reputation of the company. However, the company were declared bankrupt in 2009 and has affected thousands of jobs, shuttering dozens of assembly and parts plants and closing more than 1000 car dealerships worldwide (White, 2010) But with the help of the new President, he promised that these company will not face such problem in the future and the government will contribute almost $30 billion to reorganized the company. 1.2 Economical Environment The domestic economic environment in each country is highly integrated with other countries as well. The understanding of economic environments of foreign countries and markets may help the managers in your company to predict how the trends and events in their environment can take effect of the respective companies future performance (Witiger, 2010). Due to the recent bankruptcy issue, the new Obama policy has caused the company to fall into the governments hand with 62% of ownership. Besides that, the company is making a drastic change which is affecting at least 20% of the salaried workforce to be cut off. Moreover, assets are sold at $4 to $7 billion and halting its quarterly dividend payout (Chubb, 2008). In a recent research, the first quarter of 2009, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decline of -5.7% which is considered as the worst performance of the company in 60 years of business. But personal consumption expenditures offered a positive contribution. It increased 1.5% in quarter compared to 4.3% in quarter four (Wall Street, 2009). 1.3 Socio-cultural environment The social and cultural differences can influence the business from country to country. General Motors creates environmental principles to serve the society in United States by dedicating protection for human health, natural resources and global environment. The company is aware of the impact on the products and manufacturing facilities when integrating with environment. In order to follow the trend, the company is constantly improving the performance of the new vehicles and also the processes used to manufacture those vehicles. The initiatives to help the environment are fuel economy, reduction of green house gas emission, recycling and reduce air pollution. Moreover, contributions in monetary and intellectual to the education community are one of the socio-cultural as well. This initiative is designed to help the young people to ensure their involvement in thinking smart and provide workable solution for their future challenges (GM, 2010). 1.4 Technological Environment Technology is highly reputable amongst various sources on strategic management. It is widely used in organizations and industry part of model which creates competitive advantage. Currently, technology that is creating impact in the US market is electric cars. These cars are expected to have major impact in the present and future auto industry as it can provide reduction in city pollution, less dependence on oil and expected rise in gasoline prices (Macalister, 2010) The company have launched the latest Chevrolet Volt which is an electric car that can operate under the range of weather climates and driving conditions which will not cause problem by a minimal battery level (GM, 2010) This new advanced technology innovate consumers to purchase one because it will help to improve the environment and to live a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, spending more money on research and development can help the company to provide the latest product for their consumers base on the new trends and brand type. 2.0 International Consideration General Motors is a company with diverse brands and choices. The company sells over 7.5 million vehicles in over 120 countries worldwide and are confident to be the number one choice for the consumers and able to provide the latest technology that can benefit their customers. 2.1 Operations General Motors have expanded their business to international market in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia/ Middle East as well. As we know, General Motors do not only manufacture and sell vehicles but the company also provide other product and services such as GM mobility which can help those people with special needs and disabilities, GM OnStar provide a comprehensive in-vehicle safety, security and communication service, and GM Cardmember Services. Besides that, genuine parts and accessories of General Motors are sold through GM Goodwrench and AcDelco brands to suppliers which is authorised by General Motors itself and to be distributed worldwide (GM, 2010). 2.2 Involvement in international business The companys recent involvement in global market is with South Korea with majority shareholders investing in GM Daewoo Auto and Technology Co. of South Korea. The GM Powertrain product has a purchasing collaboration with Suzuki Motors Corp, and Isuzu Motors of Japan. Big giants such as Toyota, Daimler, Chrysler and BMW collaborate with General Motors for its advanced technology in manufacturing vehicles (GM, 2010). As one of the top automotive manufacturer, it is best for us to have a better relationship with other countries because it will help to expand the companys business and brand reputation. In order to expand our business internationally, we need to consider about the country that the company want to export or start a business, the cost, type of customers, and the competitors in that country which will be our rivals. It will not be an easy task for the company to globalise their business because we need to get licence from the government to start the business and we need to m eet their requirement in order to sell our products. 2.3 Internationalization Method There are several internationalization methods the company used in international business which are by export based consists of direct exporting and indirect exporting, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances . We are already exporting our products to China. Base on pass results, the company have managed to export $ 1billion worth of vehicles, component kits, machinery and equipments (Chinadaily, 2008). Besides that, General Motors have acquisition with AmeriCredit Corp and it is named as General Motors Financial Company. This acquisition is formed to help customers on their vehicle financing especially in US and Canada (GM, 2010). On the other hand, General Motors acquisition with Chrysler worth $5 billion turned into disaster as there were no sales to raise cash and the company lost $2.5 billion. New United Motor Manufacturing Inc(NUMMI) was once run by General Motors, due to internal problems such sex, drugs and well known for producing defective vehicles, Toyota agreed to joint venture with General Motors to solve these problems. There were misunderstandings occurred between the Japanese and American because of differences in culture and behaviour. Some of our employees at NUMMI were not happy with the management, they sabotaged the vehicles, and they put coke bottles into the door panels to annoy customers. The reason why Toyota agreed to joint venture with our company is because they were facing import restrictions from US Congress and with this help they can start building small cars in US. But they decided to terminate the agreement due to lack of improvement in our management (Langfitt, 2010). 3.0 The Growth of Business To potray alternative corporate growth strategies, Igor Ansoff created a market matrix that focuses on the companys present and future products in the market. There are several ways to grow the firms existing product and new products along with existing markets and new markets. In order to achieve this strategy, there are four product market combinations in Ansoff Matrix which can help to establish the growth of business of General Motors. 3.1 Market Penetration The first growth strategy the company should use is market penetration. This strategy is used to achieve growth in our existing products in our current market segment in order to increase the market share of this company. By maintaining the market share in a growing market will improve the growth of the product and we may have opportunities to increase our market share when our competitors have reach their capacity limits in the market (Botten, 2009). In todays world, more people are conscious about the environment therefore we should produce hybrid vehicles to meet the current market and increase our market share as well. As consumers are more concern about the rising of fuel prices that lead them to require alternative fuel sources, we should create a variety of hybrid cars base on consumers affordability (Gray and Pawlovski, 2007). In our current market, there are several hybrid vehicles which allow consumers to choose what type of vehicle they require. They can either choose Buick Lacrosse Hybrid, GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid, Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid, Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, GMC Sierra Hybrid or GMC Yukon Hybrid. These vehicles are designed to efficiently boost their travels in busy city, streets or open highway (GM, 2010). 3.2 Market Development Market development is the second growth strategy we should consider using. This strategy enables us to market our current existing products into a new market segment. Venturing this existing product into a new place will not be easy for us because we will have competitors in that new market. There are many possible ways in approaching to this strategy (Botten, 2009). One of the strategies is by exporting our products to our branch in Shanghai GM, China. Previously, our company have raised its stake in a joint venture with Wuling Group in China which is the manufacturer for small passengers vans in Chinese market. Raising its stake in this company has helped us to generate profit in China because commercial vehicles in that country have a lower unit of profit (Schepp, 2010). Shanghai GM sold almost 1.8 million cars and trucks in China alone which is just below what we have sold in USA during that year (Mucha, 2010). As the second top seller of General Motors Co., we should start selling hybrid vehicles in this country so that the Chinese citizen will start practising this culture to be an environmentally-friendly. The Buick Lacrosse will be the best choice to start our first hybrid vehicle. This vehicle will go into mass production of Shanghai GM plant and we should not expect a high volume of sales in short period of time but we are able to bring this new technology into Chinas new market that will support sustainable growth and lead consumers into the right direction to save the environment (Baker, 2008). 3.3 Product Development Product development will be our next strategy which is to market a new product into our existing market. This strategy will be appropriate to our existing customers and it will not be an easy task for the company because we are implementing a new product and we do not know whether this product will generate profit to this company (Botten, 2009). This new product will help us to have a better environment. Likewise, hybrid vehicles are created to save fuel and to have a cleaner environment. Chevrolet Volt will be the best option for us to market our new product. This car is powered by electricity and runs with gas and emission free. The advantage of having this car is it only commutes gas free on electric for an average of USD 1.50 per day. This product should be priced reasonably in order for us to impress our customers with our low price on electric cars (Evarts, 2009). If we set the price at a very high rate then it will damage the companys reputation and endanger our financial future by taking us far behind from our competition in the industry. 3.4 Diversification Finally, the fourth strategy is diversification and it is considered as the most risky among the four growth strategies of Ansoff matrix. This strategy requires us to create new products into a new market. However, diversification may tend to be less risky if we have the opportunity to generate high rate of return. As one of the top automotive manufacturers in the world, we should take advantage in any opportunity that we can get in this growing market (Botten, 2009). General Motors can expand business in South American countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. We need to spend at least $500 million to finance the manufacturing and this centre will be responsible in developing small cars of General Motors in order to support and boost our operations in General Motors Daewoo in Korea (Klum, 2010). There are six latest car models that we can sell in the new market. The models are Celtic, Classic, Corsa, Prism, Malibu, and Agile (General Motors, 2010). We need to have promotion for these cars to impress consumers to buy our product. Our competitor Honda will be releasing their latest Honda Accord in the market so our best product that can compete with Accord is Malibu (Klum, 2010). 4.0 New Venture In order to venture our business in a country, we need to consider the economic strength of the country and whether the consumers have the capabilities in purchasing our products. As the new venture in the automotive industry, we might face risk in pure competition in rates of return across other firms and industries. To obtain a good business and strength we can use Porters Five Forces as our guideline to achieve this. 4.1 Rivalry There is rivalry in every business industry and it is the main hub of porters five forces. Although at times rivalry amongst companies brings many positive factors, the negative should not be looked upon lightly. Competition constantly influences prices of automobile to drop. However, in Brunei rivalry takes place amongst imported brands such as Toyota, Nissan and Proton where car are priced at a cheaper rate compared to neighbouring countries. Thus, quality control plays an important role in the sales of cars. Besides that, the elimination of taxes also ensures that prices of cars are cheap. (Too, 2007) The automobile industry in Brunei is a thriving industry because although it is populated by approximately 400,000 people, sales of cars average at a thousand passenger vehicle a month (Too, 2010). Thus, Brunei provides a suitable market for our company to market our products. 4.2 Threats of Substitutes Besides that, threats by new entry substitutes should also be considered. Generally, when a company starts up, they have price elasticity and this forces price down. However, this is only a small threat as entry barriers protect established companies. Buyers would always be inclined to purchase automobiles based on personal liking. Therefore, marketing of products play an important key in ensuring that sales of cars increase. The entry of Proton in the Brunei market for example, showed that buyers doesnt necessarily buy new products based on promotion but rather the quality of vehicle at hand (BruneiTimes, 2009). Thus, as new ventures ourselves, we need to ensure that promotion of our product runs smoothly without any glitch to ensure establishment of our firm. 4.3 Barriers to Entry Being a company interested in venturing our company into Brunei, barriers to entry must be taken into account. Barriers such as government policies, capital requirement and brand identity may hinder the set up of our company in Brunei. The government of Brunei will waive 20% of import duty however they would incur a 20% tax on excise duty (Brunei Times, 2008). In order for our company to venture in Brunei we would need a firm financial foundation. The capital requirement to start up the business must ensure that our operational cost to facilitate research and development, globalisation and flexible manufacturing is possible. (Beaudette, Fitzgeraldand and Morath, 2009) Lastly, the identity of our brand must be known to consumers. The attributes of a car is very important in promoting. The first attribute that is looked upon is the style and appearance of the vehicle. (Karolefski, 2003). Branding of our products should also concentrate on safety and performance of the vehicle to ensure satisfaction among users. 4.4 Buyer Power The buying power of consumers in Brunei should be analyze before a venture takes place. In a country with more than 400, 000 citizens it would appear that sales would not be as promising but according to statistics, the average of car sales in Brunei is at a thousand passenger a month. Besides that, Brunei is ranked one of the top in the world when it comes to the Gross income per capita at $26,325.00 per personin the year 2009 which is one of the highest in Asia. (World Bank, 2009) This shows that with the right marketing strategy, buyers would definitely purchase our cars. The amount of supplies must correspond with the amount of buyers. Being one of the smaller nations, this would probably be a setback in our set up. The product differentiation is also a factor when it comes to buyers. As some companies produce eco-friendly vehicles, our hybrid car would definitely be a competition to other companies. The first green car in Brunei which is Toyota Prius, would not be an issue if we can bring in a better product into Brunei such as Chevrolet Volt which is fully ran by electric compared to Prius which is only a Hybrid car. (Bahar, 2010) 4.5 Supplier Power Lastly, before venturing our business in Brunei we should consider the supply power to ensure that we could meet the demand. The demand for smaller car has definitely increased due to the increase in fuel prices. Thus, it is crucial that our company has the supply to meet the demand of the consumer in Brunei. (Henry, 2008) Our company would do well in Brunei by marketing an eco friendly car as the only car in the market are hybrid cars. The differentiation would boost business as most consumers are more eco friendly. The presence of substitute input also lowers the power of the suppliers. For example in the automotive industry fuelled powered cars can be substituted with hybrid cars. This lowers the power of the petrol fuelled cars (Simerly, 2002). The lack of substitutes in the eco-friendly environment would guarantee an increase in supply and hence an increase in demand. As consumers are more willing to purchase new vehicles, the supply should always be balanced with the demand of consumers (Cristello, 2009). The availability of credit as well as the low prices fixed would determine the amount of demand that is created and as a new venturing company; our supply should meet the target.

“Heroic Journey” in “Secret life of the Bees” Essay

The classic tale of the hero’s journey can be recognized in almost every situation. It is not only apparent through daily life and historical events, but in this circumstance, a fictional novel, as well. As an epic voyage, it can be recognized in the vast majority of books throughout the course of history. One specific example where it is carefully and intricately exhibited is in Sue Monk Kidd’s novel, The Secret Life of Bees, in which a young woman’s search for acceptance and the truth becomes a heart-warming chronicle. Through the obstacles and people she meets, Lily is able to experience the trials and self-fulfilling incidents that are required in the hero’s journey she partakes in. In the first step of the monomyth, the call to adventure, Lily has had a life, up to this point, of pain and suffering for she has grown up with the implication that she shot her mother. Additionally, her father, T. Ray constantly abused her by making her work for him while ignoring her very existence. Lily was thoroughly deprived of her childhood, as well as her innocence, for her father’s complete indignation towards her only compounded the situation. She begins to realize that in order for her to break free of the oppressive life she has and realize her potential, she must leave, in search of the answer to the question that has always haunted her: who was her mother, and what really happened to her? â€Å"Lily Melissa Owens, your jar is open†¦In a matter of seconds I knew exactly what to do- leave† (Kidd 41). Lily knows T. Ray is an abusive father, and that she will never be able to ascertain who she or her mother is without making her journey. This is represented by the archetype of quest for self, ultimately Lily’s main mission throughout the book, through exploration of the Jungian collective unconscious of her mother, she consequently finds the answers she is looking for. In the second step of the monomyth, the refusal of the call, Lily is on the precipice of departure and abandonment of T. Ray, when she momentarily hesitates. This is the man who made the first 14 years of her life a hellish torture, and yet she is reluctant to separate from him. â€Å"†¦And stood a moment in the center of the room, wondering if I’d ever see it again. ‘Goodbye,’ I said, and there was a tiny sprig of sadness pushing up from my  heart† (Kidd 42). Implicitly, she knows that a part of her will die when she leaves his house, for she will be crossing the threshold between oppression and self- determination and reliance. She recognizes that her entire life is contained in that house, and when she leaves, she is abandoning not only her father, but also the life she once had. Lily knows she probably will never see her home again, and thus she is melancholy with the conflict this represents. This is epitomized by the archetype of the innocent child. While she tries to depart and subsequently make a decision for herself, the weight of that choice becomes apparent to Lily. She is merely a child; ill equipped for such conclusions and her hesitation allows us to witness the child-like purity that lies within. It is the innocence that makes her long for the mom she never had. In the third step of the monomyth, supernatural aid, Lily walks down the street away from her home with great uncertainty and no prospects, for she has no idea where to go, who to go with, and how to get there. However, everything changes for Lily when she quickly devises a strategy to break Rosaleen out of jail and a plan for a destination. When her mother died, all she had left of her was a box full of memorabilia and pictures, one of which had the name of a town written on the back. Taking this as supernatural sign from above, she bases an important life decision from the back of this picture. â€Å"Suddenly I stood still. Tiburon, South Carolina. Of course. The town was written on the back of the Black Mary Picture† (Kidd 43). Henceforth, Lily had a sense of direction in her quest to find her mother, something to put hope in, that she was ever closer to reuniting with her, in Tiburon. Hope is Lily’s only real reason to keep pressing forward. This part of the monomyth is represented by the archetype of the fairy godmother or the guardian angel. Mary is a perpetual messenger of god, a virtuous woman who represents the very ideals of power, struggle, despair, perseverance, and courage. Mary is considered a religious figure, a woman who sacrificed everything to god. Lily sees the picture of the Black Mary as a sign from heaven that she needs to go to Tiburon, where she will find what she is looking for. Lily puts her trust in god, as the virgin Mary aids her on her quest of self-fulfillment The Mary picture gives her the courage to go to Tiburon in search of her mothers past. Lily and Rosaleen’s heroic journey takes its first major leap when they escape their old life of hardship and pain, by hitching a ride to Tiburon. This escape represents the crossing of the first threshold that every hero must experience in order to proceed toward their final goal. In this case, Lily’s ultimate objective is to understand and come to terms with her lost mother. Lily and Rosaleen get help crossing the first threshold from an old farmer. â€Å"It pointed left, toward a road curving away into silvery darkness. Climbing out of the truck, Rosaleen asked if we could have one of his cantaloupes for supper. ‘Take yourself two,’ he said† (Kidd 50). The generous farmer represents the universal archetype of helping animals. Although he does not actually help any animals, he is arguably, a farmer, and he does help and feed Lily and Rosaleen, who are symbolic for animals. Hitching a ride with a simple farmer only signaled the mere beginning of Lil y’s heroic journey, with much more to come. The belly of the whale is when Lily realizes that she is mentally prepared to start her journey. † ‘A lot of folks won’t buy it ’cause it’s got the Virgin Mary pictured as a colored women, but see, that’s ’cause the women who makes the honey is colored herself'† (Kidd 64). Lily sees the picture of a colored Virgin Mary as her mother had and intuitively knows that her mother had once been there. There is no turning back after this, no room for cowardice, only courage, because now she has to fulfill her goal and know her history as it converges with her mother’s. The picture of the Virgin Mary exemplifies the Fairy Godmother archetype because it appeared when Lily needed both a sign and guidance. This is a great example of how the Virgin Mary helps out Lily, and there are many times later that her assistance helps Lily endure with grace. With the help of the virgin Mary Lily is ready to take this journey, she feels god is on her side, and that the Mary picture is ultimately a sign that causes Lily to go to August, where the fruition of Lilys journey comes to pass. After Lily has started her journey and been in the belly of the whale, a series of tests and trials engage her. Lily’s first test was more of a psychological trial in nature, for it was when she had to first confront the  house that potentially contained the knowledge she wanted about her mother. Rosaleen, who represents her mentor and guide, accompanied Lily, just like Athena helps and prays for Odysseus in the Odyssey. When they first arrive on the doorstep, Rosaleen prays for both of them, â€Å"I knocked on the door while she muttered a slew of words under her breath: Give me strength†¦ Baby Jesus†¦ Lost our feeble minds† (Kidd 68). Lily and Rosaleen must endure this trial in order to discover the answers to the many questions. The simple fact is that they had no ides what was behind that door, and were willing to put blind fate into the hands of strangers. This is a trial of Lilys will and trust in other people. Lily’s second trial emerges when she initially understands May’s reaction to emotional pain. The sisters are sharing a little about themselves with Lily and Rosaleen when the topic of their sister who died comes up. â€Å"She cried like April’s death had happened only this second† (Kidd 73). Lily finally realizes through this trial that others experience hardships just like she has. May, in this situation, represents the innocent child. She cries like she is just a little girl. When Lily perceives this, it changes the way she looks at things, especially her own problems and even her ultimate goal, knowledge of her mother. We can see this as a deciding factor for Lily in determining her place in the farm. Up until that point Lily did not understand May, but now Lily knows where she comes from, Lily knows and begins to understand Mays pain. And by focusing outward Lily is able to understand and grow inwardly. Lily’s last trial in her ragged life is psychological beings; it happens during one of Lily’s first major confrontations with August. In August’s story of Beatrix, the nun, August uses this symbol to relate to Lily’s life and give her guidance, â€Å"After a while she wished she could return to the convent, but she knew they’d never take her back† (Kidd 91). This is explaining the story of the brave female nun who followed the path of god and saved other along the way. Beatrix is a female inspiration to August as a model for courage and perseverance. August, who is speaking in this quote, embodies Lily’s mother’s archetype, because she provides direction when her daughter, symbolized by Lily, is confused or in trouble. Lily realizes the  basis of Augusts beliefs, and the power of women in religion. She realizes that women are strong, and that as a woman she must strive to fulfill the role of strong leader. This trial is a true factor in deciding how Lily will shape her life, and how she will continue on from there. The â€Å"temptation away from the true path† in this book can quite obviously be recognized as Zach, for he encourages Lily to think things she has never thought before. Unintentionally, their relationship diverts her attention from learning about what has happened to her mother, to trying to figure out what is going to happen between her and Zach. When Lily is driving with Zach and has a daydream that completely distracts her, â€Å"I imagined us building a snow cave, sleeping with our bodies twined together to get warm, our arms and legs like black-and-white braids. This last thought shocked my system so bad I shivered† (Kidd 124). In this sense, Zach is a male version of the archetypical temptress. However, as in both Star Wars and The Matrix, Lily is not completely distracted from her main objective for she still is able to discover Deborah’s history. Exhibiting the extent to which she was tempted by the thought of being with Zach, Lily became afraid of the extent of her love for him. In the hero’s journey the â€Å"meeting of the goddess† is portrayed in this book with the surrogate mother archetype, August Boatwright. The â€Å"goddess† of the hero’s journey is almost always a woman with great abilities who helps the hero along on his or her journey. This is evident in August, who personifies the surrogate mother archetype exceptionally well, helping Lily in every way that a mother usually would. For instance, when August and Lily were talking about what they love, Lily thinks, â€Å"I wanted to add, And you, I love you, but I felt too awkward† (Kidd 140). This illustrates that after only a few weeks she feels love for this surrogate mother she has acquired through August Boatwright. Lily realizes that August is her mother. That by showing compassion for Deborah she is connecting with her old mother Deborah. Lily has embraced August as her new guiding figure in her life. The ultimate boon in Lily’s journey is when she sees the sign of her mother, in her dream, that lets Lily know that Deborah actually loved her, and didnt  want just to abandon her . † ‘I figured that May must’ve made it to heaven and explained to my mother about the sign I wanted† (Kidd 276). August gives Lily a picture that showed exactly what she wanted all along. This picture was an exact representation her birth mother in the true idea of her being a mother figure. After being disappointed knowing that her mother left her, Lily now feels loved by her mother, even though she may have not been there for her. This is her ultimate boon and even more importantly, the climax of the novel. Seeing this picture gives Lily the strength and courage to move on with her life. Lily forgives her mother for her one big mistake, because she has learned many things about her that mean so much more. Representing the hero’s journey blueprint of the â€Å"atonement with the father,† T. Ray finally finds and reconciles with Lily. This is a very obvious theme for it happens both psychologically and physically. Despite that T. Ray had come to force Lily to return home with him, she was able to apologize for leaving him and, less obviously, he apologized too. He is caught up in an angry rage as he thinks his daughter is really his dead wife who he loved very much even though she ran away from himThis was most apparent when Lily says, â€Å"‘DaddyI’m-I’m sorry I left like I did'† (Kidd 295). Clearly, she was able to forgive T. Ray for all he had done to her, and in return he was able to leave without her and still be okay. The stable and tolerable level that Lily establishes with her father represents a height of acceptance that relieves her from the constant weight of his unhappiness. No longer must she be the feeble scapegoat of his anger and resent he feels to Deborah Owens, Lily’s mother. When Lily refuses to return, she finally stands up to her father for what she desires. Responding to T. Ray harsh statement requesting Lilys return she says, noIm staying here, I said. I’m not leaving'† (Kidd 296). Rather than his needs, Lily finally addresses what she desires. While upsetting T. Ray, it is the best for both of them. She never had a normal or loving life and now she has both with her new family. T. Ray does not want to be reminded of his wife, and without Lily, he is much more able to move on. This clearly exhibits her refusal of the return and T. Ray as the villain archetype. T. Ray never came close to being a father to Lily; he has always been the  villain to her. Henceforth, with the knowledge that she has received about her father, she is able to see him in a new light. Lily now identifies that he must have loved her mother so intensely that when she left him, he was distraught and has never really forgiven her. Transferring his angry feelings about his wife to his treatment of his daughter, T. Ray tries to manage his hurt and rage. With this awareness, Lily is able to move on, let go of her resentment, forgive him and carry on with her own life. The rescue from without in Lilys journey also occurred when the many different types of women in her life stood up for her. â€Å"The front door opened, and Queenie, Violet, Lunelle, and Mabelee stumbled into the house, all wound up and looking like they had their clothes on backward† (Kidd 297). Lily received their help when they created a physical presence of protection, for she could not control her father before they got there. All four different types women were they for Lily when she needed them, without asking questions or concern about danger. They cared so deeply for her that they dropped everything to ensure she was safe with her father. While these significant women may not actually have been her mother, they collectively represent the mother figure archetype, through providing comfort, direction, and guidance whenever it is needed. She has never had women like them in her life, and now without them, she would not be able to live. After successfully completing the rescue from without, Lily must achieve the overwhelming crossing of the return threshold. This essential step has a greater influence than expected on Lily herself. By passing over to her intangible victory, Lily Owens learns more of the people she will learn to call family. When T. Ray attempts to bring his daughter back to Sylvan, August stands her ground in a valiant support of Lily’s decision to remain at the calendar sisters’ house and terminate her previous living situation. In a cunning and manipulative persuasion, August reassures Terrence Ray saying, â€Å"‘Mr. Owens, you would be doing Lily and the rest of us a favor by leaving her here†¦We love Lily, and we’ll take care of her. I promise you that'† (Kidd 298). This guarantee by August was the guiding path for Lily to actually â€Å"cross the return threshold† described in the hero’s journey. She, Lily, is victorious in doing so because she no longer has to live with her  father, or the villain archetype of the novel. Ironically, by crossing the return threshold Lily physically goes nowhere. It is more of a life decision that an actual change of surroundings. By choosing not to go back to her hometown with T. Ray, Lily is able to complete this step within her heroic voyage and continue onto becoming the master of two worlds. The interpretation of the master of the two worlds can be comprehended in multiple ways. In this case, Lily becomes the master of both the living and the dead. She does this through the connection she creates with Becca, Clayton’s daughter, and her deceased mother. Referring to her mom’s special remembrances, Lily confirms that, â€Å"One day I will let her pick them up†¦The feeling that they are holy objects is already starting to wear† (Kidd 301). When Lily includes Becca to share her mother’s personal belongings displays that Lily has created a place where the old or â€Å"dead† aspect of her can interact with the new or â€Å"living† part of her internal spirit through the experiences Lily has. This can be represented by the double archetype. Lily is balancing her physical and mental lives. She constantly thinks of Deborah, and wants to make emends with her, but on the other hand she is also searching for her mother in a physical man ifestation. She is looking to August to be her new mother, but still never forget the mother had. In this since she is the master of two worlds, and two mothers. In the completion of the hero’s journey, Lily must learn to live with absolute freedom. In order to do this she must obtain a certain mentality because her freedom relies solely on her positive outlook and the release of the burdens that have limited her for so long. The stable and tolerable level that Lily establishes with her father represents a height of acceptance that relieves her from the constant weight of his unhappiness. No longer must she be the feeble scapegoat of his anger and resent he feels to Deborah Owens, Lily’s mother. For the entirety of her adolescence Lily has been unconsciously and consciously foraging for a mother figure to fulfill the ache she carries deep inside her heart, and to complete her long and hardened journey. For a child to comprehend that the responsibility of their parental figure’s death is their own burden, is awfully determining to the character herself. In this position Lily cannot fathom that her main cause of suffering, the lack of a mother, is her accountability. However, the rock of burdens is lifted  with her sign that she receives from her mother. In reference to the Daughters, Lily thinks to herself, â€Å"All these mothers. I have more mothers than any eight girls off the street. They are the moons shinning over me† (Kidd 302). More than happy to give her all the love and care, the Daughters complete the freed sense to live for Lily. By obtaining the picture of the angelic mother and smiling child, her mother and her, Lily is able to sense that she is liberated from the sentence she has been serving for over fourteen years. Desperate for the guidance and support of a mother, Lily turns to the Daughters of Mary to fill the absent persona. Exemplified in this chronicle quest the â€Å"Hero’s Journey† is evident in Sue Monk Kidd’s novel, The Secret Life of Bees. Lily, the adolescent protagonist of this novel, travels in search of self-fulfillment and accomplishes the requirements if the heros journey, The heros journey helped Lily to grow not only in expierences but also mentally. Kidd specifically developed Lily as a persona and the novel to parallel the psychological expedition of the standard hero, This angle and outlook of the journey allows the reader to connect and relate to the character, because we see so many examples of heros in our everyday society. The Secret Life of Bees is highly unusual because the majority of heros stories have extreme condition with are unfathomable to the average person. Works Cited Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. Boston: Penguin (Non-Classics), 2003.

The Independence Born From Desperation - 1248 Words

An Independence Born from Desperation In an old joke a wife says to her husband: â€Å"Hey, you promised me that when we got married we would have a maid, a cook, a washerwoman, and a nanny† The smiling husband answers â€Å"I do have all of them†. It is funny as a joke, but when this situation becomes the everyday reality for a woman, it is not that nice. Last year I met Louisa, a beautiful 23-year-old Indian lady with four kids, who came to the United States just two years ago. She was practically a slave in her own house. Since early in the morning she was cleaning, washing, cooking, ironing, etc. Once she said, â€Å"I lost my period when I was 13 years old, and I saw it again when I was 18 years old†. Louisa had two miscarriages after the last†¦show more content†¦Having children was not only part of the nature of women; it was an obligation in order to provide a large family to men; also as the wife, a woman could learn to write and read but only to complete elementary education, an e xtended period was considerate a â€Å"waste of time† on a woman. Liza Picard researches and writes about the history of London holds, â€Å"In the upper classes, it was assumed that a girl would marry and that therefore she had no need of a formal education, as long as she could look beautiful, entertain her husband’s guests, and produce a reasonable number of children† (2). So failure to fulfill this requirement for a â€Å"complete, good woman†, might lead to female psychological disturbance, even craziness. â€Å"Of course it is only nervousness. It does weigh on me so not to do my duty in any way! I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already!† (7, 252). It is necessary to add some elements each other that led to the narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper to madness. First, although the narrator has discrepancies, â€Å"Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good. But what is one to do?†(7, 250), is trying to fit into a â€Å"normal† life, for a woman by being obedient, submissive, getting married, and having a baby. Second, according to the chronology on TheShow MoreRelatedSimilarities Between The Declaration Of Independence And The Declaration Of Independence948 Words   |  4 Pageswithstood the test of time and have become statement pieces for our society. In this group, the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson and Common Sense by Thomas Paine both hold high positions. 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