Case Study of the YTL Corporation Berhad

Case Study of the YTL Corporation Berhad YTL Corporation Berhad is one of the largest companies listed on the Bursa Malaysia, and together with its six listed entities has a combined Market Capitalization of about RM 34.3 million as at 30 September 2010, the company has a total asset of over RM45 billion. The major business carries out by YTL Corporation included power generation, construction contracting, property development, hotel development and management, cement manufacturing, supply of water, treatment and disposal of waste water, and incubating and advisory services for internet businesses. [ Francis Yeoh, YTL Corporation Berhad ] Products and Services YTL Cement Berhad supplies cement products and concrete products, quarry products and provision of related services to the constructions sector. YTL Cement is Malaysias largest producer of ready-mixed concrete, through its subsidiary Buildcon Concrete Sdn Bhd C.I Readymix Sdn Bhd. The company currently operates more than 50 batching plants throughout Peninsular Malaysia. [ Mr. TG TAN, YTL Cement Berhad ] YTL Cement Berhad is also the 2nd largest cement plant in Malaysia, with cement production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per annum in Pahang; 3.4 million tonnes per annum in Perak; and a Clinker and Blast Furnace Slag Grinding Plants at Westport, Klang, and Pasir Gudang, Johor, each of 500,000 m/t per annum capacity. [ YTL Cement Berhad ] YTL Corporation also have a lots of luxury hotel in different country. Besides, YTL Corporation also carries out property development activities. YTL has built up excellent and high quality of buildings such as condominiums with attractive and inn ovative designs. Channels of distribution This is defined as an intermediate chain; each chain is passed down to the next organizations product, that we finally reach the consumer or end user. This process is known as the distribution chain or channel. Starting from the beginning, the YTL Company has only supplies the cement manufacturing to the entire buyer. When the YTL Company gets the profit back, they have enough capital, and then the company starts to expand their business structure. They start to supply generation, construction contracting, property development, hotel development and management, cement manufacturing, supply of water, treatment and disposal of waste water, and incubating and advisory services for internet businesses. [ Francis Yeoh, YTL Corporation Berhad ] They sell this product to Tenaga National Berhad(TNB), hotel, building industry, hardware store and customer. This can keep their products on the market flow and visibility. Level of Technology Used YTL Cement is the largest ready-mixed concrete company in Malaysia, with over 500 mixers. YTL Cement owns over 70 batching plants and a fleet of 700 cement trucks, operating throughout Malaysia. [ YTL Corporation Berhad ] YTL Corporation undertakes IT and e-commerce technology in their business. Organization Structure YTL Corporation is managed by an experienced Board with a wide and varied range of expertise. This broad full of skills and experience can ensure that the YTL Corporation is under the guidance of an accountable and competent Board. The Directors recognise the key role they play in charting the strategic direction, development and control of the YTL Corp Group and have adopted the six primary responsibilities as listed in the Code, which facilitate the discharge of the Boards stewardship responsibilities. The Board currently has thirteen Directors comprising nine executive members and four non-executive members. The positions of the Executive Chairman and the Managing Director are held by separate members of the Board. The Executive Chairman is primarily responsible for the orderly conduct and working of the Board, while the Managing Director oversees the running of the business day by day, implementation of Board policies and making of operational decisions. The Managing Director and the Executive Directors are accountable to the Board for the profitable operation and development of the YTL Corporation, consistent with the primary aim of enhancing long-term shareholder value. The presence of Independent Non-Executive Directors brings an additional element of balance to the Board and these Independent Non-Executive Directors have the experience to carry sufficient weight in the Boards decisions. The differing roles of Executive and Non-Executive Directors are delineated, both having fiduciary duties towards the shareholders of the company. Executive Directors have a direct responsibility for business operations whereas Non-Executive Directors have the necessary skill and experience to bring an independent judgement to bear on issues of strategy, performance and resources brought before the Board. The Executive Directors are responsible for the YTL Corporation operations and for ensuring that strategies proposed by management are fully discussed and examined, and take account of the long term interests of shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers and the many communities in which the YTL Corporation conducts its business. Mission YTL Company mission is to earn high returns by investing in high growth, knowledge intensive companies that leverage on new technologies and then enhance the value of these investments by using its internal and external resources. It aims to be a provider of smart capital, which includes financial capital as well as real world knowledge capital, to eliminate many of the risks associated with new technology investments, be they technical, financial or operational. [ YTL e-Solutions Berhad ] Strengths The strengths of YTL Company are when at a limited resources period time, YTL Company can supply the amount quantity of products to customer. This is because when that time building start work come together many way and then make the resources lesser, at that time YTL Company got place to store the resources and supply to every customer. Weaknesses The weakness of the YTL Company is divided into many part of enterprise development, so by the controlling maybe have some small mistake. Like when a place for develop, many worker are calling to over time the work and will give extra bonus, but the way is some of the worker want to save more the money send back to their family, so that them eat less of food when the working time, and when got any over time chances them will fight of it. This problem makes them will over stress their body and not enough time for rest and this will cause of any dangerous accident. Innovation The first company to introduce turnkey construction into Malaysia. The first Malaysian company to use non-resource local financing to finance a high-speed rail project. The first Asian company to issue a Zero-Coupon Euro-bond. First Independent Power Producer in Malaysia. The first non-Japanese Asian company to list on the Tokyo Exchange in year 1996. Awards YTL is one of Malaysias best managed companies; YTL Corporation has won numerous awards and come out tops in numerous surveys over the years, including awards form The Far Eastern Economic Review, Asia Week, CIO Asia and many others awards. YTL Corporations most recent accolades came from Finance Asia magazine, when it was highlighted under the categories Most Committed to Corporate Governance. Best Financial Management and Best Managed Company. Planning Planning can best be defined as looking ahead and chalking out future courses of action to be followed. It is a preparatory step. It is a systematic activity which determines when, how and who is going to perform a specific job. Planning is a detailed programme regarding future courses of action. It is rightly said Well plan is half done. Therefore planning takes into consideration available and prospective human and physical resources of the organization so as to get effective coordination, contribution and perfect adjustment. It is the basic management function which includes formulation of one or more detailed plans to achieve optimum balance of needs or demands with the available resources. [ Ads by Google ] Someone has said before, Planning is a mental predisposition to do things in orderly way, to think before acting and to act in the light of facts rather than guesses. Planning is deciding best alternative among others to perform different managerial functions in order to achieve predetermined goals. [ Ads by Google ] Planning is deciding in advance on what to do, how to do and who to do it. Planning bridge covers the gap between where we want to go. It makes possible things occur which would not otherwise occur. In todays highly competitive business environment, budget-oriented planning or forecast-based planning methods are insufficient for a large corporation to survive and prosper. The firm must engage in strategic planning that clearly defines objectives and assesses both the internal and external situation to formulate strategy, implement the strategy, evaluate the progress, and make adjustments where necessary to stay on track. [ Bradford, Robert W., Duncan, Peter J., Tarcy, Brian ] YTL Corporations strategy of offering World Class Products and Services at Competitive Prices extends across the range of its business activities, and is perhaps the single most important factor underpinning its success today in enhancing shareholder value. That is because YTL Corporation using the right way of the strategy planning process. A simplified strategic planning process is shown by the following diagram: This process is most applicable to strategic management at the business unit level of the organization. For large corporations, strategy at the corporate level is most concerned with managing a portfolio of business. For example, corporate level strategy involves decisions about which business units are to grow, resource allocation among the business units, taking advantage of synergies among the business units, and mergers and acquisitions. In the process outlined here, company or firm will be used to denote a single-business firm or a single business unit of a diversified firm. [ NetMBA, Business Knowledge Center ] YTL Corporation follows the step by step then only can reach until now is one of the largest companies listed on the Bursa Malaysia. The company has many assets, for example hotel, resorts, building, and etc. Mission- Companys mission is to reason as a company. The delegation is often manifested in the form of mission statement, convey a sense of mission and project staff clients corporate image. In the strategy formulation process, the mission statement sets the direction of where the company should go. YTLs mission is to earn high returns by investing in high growth, knowledge intensive companies that leverage on new technologies and provide the affordable to become one of the world-class quality products and services. Now our company is following by the mission and almost wants to overstep the mission already. YTL Group Managing Director Tan Sri Dato (Dr) Francis Yeoh Sock Ping said that before. Objectives- Objectives is a specific goal, which the organization seeks to reach, for example, a profit growth target. The goal should be challenging, but achievable. They should also be measurable, so that companies can monitor their progress and make necessary corrections. YTL over the last 15 years already contributed directly to its success in achieving a compounded annual growth rate in Pre-tax profits of 55%. This can shown that the company also done in this part very well and is not every company can done it as well, it because need to put more heart on the company and fight the target only can get it well. Situation Analysis- Once the firm has specified its objectives, it begins with its current situation to devise a strategic plan to reach those objectives. Changes in the external environment often present new opportunities and new ways to reach the objectives. An environmental scan is performed to identify the available opportunities. The firm also must know its own capabilities and limitations in order to select the opportunities that it can pursue with a higher probability of success. The situation analysis therefore involves an analysis of both the external and internal environment. [ NetMBA, Business Knowledge Center ] A situation analysis can generate a large amount of information, much of which is not particularly relevant to strategy formulation. To make the information more manageable, it sometimes is useful to categorize the internal factors of the firm as strengths and weakness, and the external environmental factors as opportunities and threats. [ NetMBA, Business Knowledge Center ] YTL Company aspect the analysis in the industry in which the firm operates or is considering operating. It devised the five forces framework that is use for industry analysis. The five forces include barriers to entry, customers, suppliers, substitute product, and rivalry among competing firm. Strategy Formulation- Once a clear picture of the firm and its environment is in the hand, specific strategic alternatives can be developed. While different firms have different alternatives depending on their situation, there also exist generic strategies that can be applied across a wide range of firm. We identified the cost leadership, differentiation, and focus as the three generic strategies that may be considered when defining strategic alternatives. [ NetMBA, Business Knowledge Center ]We implementing a combination of these strategies for a given product; rather, he argued that only one of the generic strategy alternatives should be pursued. So, the YTL Company got more strong power to build up faster than other company and become a big company. Implementation- The strategy likely will be expressed in high-level conceptual terms and priorities. For effective implementation, it needs to be translated into more detailed policies that can be understood at the functional level of the organization. The expression of the strategy in terms of functional policies also serves to highlight any practical issues that might not have been visible at a higher level. [ NetMBA, Business Knowledge Center ] The strategy of YTL Company is translated into few specific policies for functional areas such as: marketing, research and development, procurement, production, human resources, information systems and etc. Control- Once implemented, the results of the strategy need to be measured an evaluated, with changes made as required to keep the plan on track. Control systems should be developed and implemented to facilitate this monitoring. Standards of performance are set, the actual performance measured, and appropriate action taken to ensure success. [ NetMBA, Business Knowledge Center ] By the way the theory and the YTL Company theory are similar same, step by step from mission until the end of the controlling step. Organizing Organization is one of the management functions, such as planning. It is a function of the synchronization and human, material and financial resources, the combination occurred. All three resources are very important to get results. Therefore, the organization features help to achieve results that are actually important for the operation concerned. According to Chester Barnard, Organizing is a function by which the concern is able to define the role positions, the jobs related and the co- ordination between authority and responsibility. Therefore, managers always want to get organized results. Organizing function has four following steps. First is identification of activities. All activities must be conducted in a question for the first time that. For example, the preparation of the accounts, make sales, record keeping, quality control, inventory control, etc. All these activities are grouped and classified as a unit. Second is departmentally organizing the activities. In this step, managers are trying to bind to the departments and units or similar groups and related activities. This is divided into separate units and department to the entire organization is called departmentation. In the third steps is classifying the authority. Once the departments have made, Managers like the power and scope of the category managers. This gives a kind of management positions in the rank of the level of activity is called. Senior management to policy formulation, the lower the supervision and management of mid-level to the foremans supervision and management. Clarify a problem in the introduction of the power efficiency of the help. This helps in achieving the operating efficiency of a concern. This helps to avoid the time, money, energy waste, to avoid duplication or overlapping of efforts, which helped smooth the introduction of the work concerned. And the last step is co-ordination between authority and responsibility. Relations are based on different groups in order to achieve organizational goals toward smooth interaction. Everyone knows by his authority, he or she know they have to take orders and to whom they must report to them. A clear organizational structure is developed and all staff is made aware of this. When it comes to business leaders, the most important aspect is the management of the organization functions. In fact, the correct implementation of the organizational functions of management can make a business success or failure. Absence of sound system, involving the management of organizational functions, the companies can easily end up belly up and bleeding red. Unfortunately, many business owners do not spend enough time to consider the organizations management functions. In addition, when it comes to business planning and the like, little time is spent on an overview of the organization, taking into account management features. This is crucial, a business management training and well versed in the functions of various organizations. Historically, these types of concepts taught in colleges and universities. However, to a large degree, many universities have abandoned at least to some extent, the training organization like the focus. Management organizations function of the level of many business enterprises. First, the organizations management function addresses the way the person with the organization to interact, who reports to whom, organization charts, lines of authority. All of these are personnel management and organizational functions of management within the organization takes that fall on. Financial planning and budgetary considerations also belong to the organizations general management topics. Managers need the plug and the company employed by them during the budget out familiar. They need to understand the business of spending and budget priorities in order to fully understand how to allocate company resources to ensure the maximum profit at the end. Internet also does provide a number of organizations looking for more management functions, and how it is any enterprises overall business model of an important part of the useful information for anyone interested. Now we talks about the important of organisation. The people who organized organization are much better than the disorganized individuals. The same is true the organized sector or enterprise. Managers who can master this enjoyment of the organization function more smoothly in the management of the term of office location. For example, the construction enterprise organizations must do to ensure the smooth progress of the project a lot. Subcontractors, construction managers and building materials must be received by organizations for each. Scheduling before the arrival of supplies, the development of a carpenter, is counterproductive, and showing a lack of organization. In the current situation, there is a specific order to the project, which is in any other projects the true situation. Manager who has a staff organized to follow it and the organizations and the fight. Managers who take seriously functions of the organization to consistently update their plans will therefore be successful in the workplace. Organizing is always occurs continuously. Organization is most managers daily, weekly, annual task. In todays fast-paced business world, things change rapidly, the change occurred. Managers must remember that it was the composition of the flow, never change. Flexible management the ability to change course and even when necessary to meet customer needs. Change is inevitable. For the frequent changes of business experience, the organization function is essential. Such as adding new jobs or eliminate some of the organizational change process can change the level and structure of the organizations business. By the way, our research of YTL Company has indicates that organization itself consists of three basic building blocks. They are Job Positions, Activities, and Systems. The growth of the organization is how to organize the development and how they relate to people of each of these subunits to form an organic whole understanding. Job Positions The YTL Company divides the job positions into four types, which is Structure, Authority, and Distribution of tasks, Right people and Training. Structure The first thing consider is the structure of jobs in the company is correct for todays business and plans for the tomorrow. Therefore, it is worth doing an analysis of whether the structure and YTL Company contains the right makeup and balance of job positions on it. Authority Second, YTL Company examine whether each job position in the company is matched by a level of authority for the person in that job to carry out the tasks contained within the job. In addition, the person filling the job needs to clearly know whom he or she is to report to. [ Roy Posner, Growth Online ] Distribution of Tasks Third, need to check whether the work tasks are assigned to that position in all right task. Some tasks may not be included in the work, or some tasks may need to be added to the job, or some people may only need to be assigned to another job. Therefore, the contents of each job in the company of the company is also worthy of detailed analysis. Right People, Training Fourth, the job positions in YTL Company are proper allocation, as well as office tasks is to maximize the efficiency of individual positions need filled with the right people, and training to the work of each person. Activities Jobs, activities can be continuously improved throughout the organization as well. Each improvement to an activity releases fresh energy and makes the organization more effective. [ Roy Posner, Growth Online ] YTL this high-tech manufacturing companies are reviewing their product development activities in order to maximize product and service speed to market, and their efficiency and product quality and service. Therefore, thorough analysis activities, while enabling companies to more efficiently and releasing tremendous energy and prosperity. Systems An organization is determined by the degree of productivity and regular physical activity routine systematic, standard operating procedures for the opening. Systemization doesnt just make activities work more efficient; it makes people more relaxed and cheerful at work because the activities almost take care of themselves. In fact, the happiest people are often in companies that have turned most or all activities in the company into corresponding systems. [ Roy Posner, Growth Online ] There are some systems in the YTL Company as computerized bookkeeping, email, sales tracking, sales analysis, manufacturing, credit checking and etc. And then there are the existing systems. YTL Company upgraded the efficiency to the next level. Compare to the theories of YTL, it is almost the same. YTL company manager organize the company organizing structure and the job position of the employees in the company. Besides, the manager also concern about the authority and system in the company. Leading Leading is the topic of motivating employees is extremely important to managers and supervisors. To motivate employees, we must start motivating ourselves first. If you are enthusiastic about your job, it is much easier for others to be too. In addition, if doing to take care of worker and their work well, will have more clearly how other people do is their point of view. You can make their day or break their day. As a manager, you are the most powerful factor in employees motivation and morale. Your impact on employee motivation is immeasurable. By the words, the body language and expression on face, the telegraph opinion of their value of the people employ. You must take the lead first. Use simple powerful motivational words to demonstrate that you value people by saying please and thank you and you are doing a good job you can make their day positive employee motivation and morale. Start the day right. Since, walk tall and confidently. Walk around your workplace and greet people. Share the goods and expectations for the day. Let the employees know that today is going to be a great day. Of start with you, you can make their day. For employee motivation, you must make sure people know what you expect. As a manager, you must have clearly state down the work objectives, members needed, report dear lines and the requirements so that the employees do not received a different manage. Make sure get the feedback from the employees so will know he or she understand what is the need. Share the goals and reasons for doing the task and project. Have a task or project by the middle of change, why change needs to tell people, tell them you know. They want to know when they complete a project, and when you are disappointed in their results. They need as soon as possible after the event this information. They need to work with you to make sure that they produce a positive outcome the next time. Set up a daily or weekly schedule to check and make sure the feedback happens. This is an effective tool in building employee motivation and morale. As a manger you can continue learning and trying out new ideas for employee motivation. Use whatever access you have to education and training. Have an internal trainer or seek classes from an outside consultant, a training company or a university. Most people want to learn and grow their skill at work. No matter what their reasons are: a promotion, different work, a new position or a leadership role employee appreciates your help. Encourage experimentation and taking reasonable risk to develop employee skill. That each persons performance development plan and implementation plan to ensure that you need to help them. Hold regular meeting to share information, gain ideas for improvement and train new policies. Hold focus groups to gather input before implementing policies that affect employees. To effectively lead a work group, department or unit, you must take responsibility for your actions, the actions of the people you lead and the accomplishment of the goals that are yours. [ Sus an M. Heathfield, About.Com ] Show commitment by following through on your promises. To motivate the employees, we start with good people, lay out rules communicate and reward them with good pay and bonuses to those who deserve them. Today, people must understand why they are working hard. Every individual in an organization is motivated by something different from each other. On motivating people, you are got to engage their minds and their hearts. For example, by excitement or by having productive ideas to make others feel involved. Motivation is the art of setting people to do what you want to do because they want to do it. Everybody wants to be somebody. The thing you as a manager have to do is to give them confidence as much as you can. Whether you, you are for personal reasons, but the bottom line is that almost everyone working for the money. Whatever you can it: compensation, salary, houses, benefit or remuneration, money pays by bills. Of provide housing, gives children clothing and food, send them to college and eventually retirement. Therefore, equity interests and pay is the cornerstone of a successful company, the commitment to recruit and retain workers. To attract the best employees, you need to pay more than your average paying counterpart in the market place. Show commitment by following through on your promise. Follow up on mines and review project regularly to make sure you have done all you can keep an eye on projects so that you can head off problems. As a manager, in order for you to motivate your employees you must have positive mental attitude. Condition your mind to reject negative attitude to channel your mental energy. A commitment to positive attitude will bring about that relaxed countenance that many successful leaders exhibit. Show disciplined to your employee by setting a good example. Always arrive early for appointments. This shows that you are disciplined and respect other peoples time. Strength and courage on the face of adversity is a must. Be determined to face it off when facing with any troubles or problems. People will respect you more if you show courage. The leading challenges are to help individuals identify potential area of development and to measure the effectives. It is also ones ability to deal with daily environment demands and pressure and helps predict ones success in life including professional and personal pursuits. It also helps us to understand the connection between emotion and ones abilities to lead. Leaders execute a vision by motivating, umpiring, listening, guiding, and persuading others. The challenges in leading are that we can proactively build up relationship with a wide network of people. To continually articulating our vision and influencing our employees. As a leader, we can umpire ourselves and others and also creating a culture that sustain urgency in making the vision a reality. We can also continually looking for new ideas, developing, motivating, embracing change and welcoming opportunity. Combined with comprehensive pressures and the constant need to adapt and change the demands to strong leadership at every level of an organization one eventual to its strategic alignment, effectives and success. In YTL Corporation, the manager led or motivates their employees in the company to achieve some plan or let their staff perform in certain tasks. Besides, the manager also led to the morale and behavior of the staffs. YTL Corporation aims to make the staffs having a high morale and good efficient while working in the company. So that, the company only can perform well because of the good relationship between subordinates and staff. Other than that, YTL Corporation led the company to achieve their company mission and vision. By facing any challenges and problem, the manager will find a new idea or certain ways to solve the problem or having confidence to fight with the challenges given. Compare to the concepts and theories, YTL company manager concern more about the performance of the employees in the company. Same as the way of leading, the manager led to make the staff be in high morale and good attitude. So, the manager can led their employees to achieve certain objectives in the company. Controlling Finally, we come to the last management process and functions. The final activity manager perform is controlling. Manager should monitor activities to ensure that they are accomplished as planned. After estimating the future conditions and circumstances of his company, making decisions b

Character Analysis for Maus by Art Speigleman

Character List- round or flat Art Spiegelman- r * Art Spiegelman is the author and narrator of Maus, and also one of the story's main characters. * Born in Stockholm after the Holocaust, he is the only surviving child of Vladek and Anja Spiegelman. * He is married to Francoise, a French woman who converted to Judaism upon their engagement. * Maus centers around two primary narratives: Vladek's experiences as a Jew in World War II Poland, and Art's relationship with his aging father. * When the story opens, Art lives in New York and does not see his father very often, though he lives only a short distance away in Queens. But as Art begins to draw this story about Vladek's Holocaust experiences, he begins to visit his father more and more frequently. * Their relationship is strained, as Vladek's gruff demeanor and unwillingness to spend money routinely infuriate his son. * Art is filled with complex feelings towards his father ranging from admiration for his survival in Auschwitz, to f rustration towards his aggravating tendencies, and guilt for his own neglect of a father who has lived through so many difficult times. * Art also has complex emotions towards the Holocaust.Though he did not live through it personally, he feels that he is constantly affected by it. * His father's personality was largely formed from his experiences in Auschwitz, and this personality in turn directly affected the way in which Art was raised. Vladek Spiegelman- r * Vladek is Art Spiegelman's father. * He grew up in pre-war Poland, and much of Maus traces his experiences in the Holocaust, as told in his own words to his son. * As the story opens in 1978, he is married to his second wife, Mala. The couple does not get along * Vladek's personality is largely dominated by his Holocaust experiences. During the Holocaust, he exhibited a spectacular resourcefulness, work ethic, and presence of mind that often enabled him to secure food, shelter, and safety for himself and his family. * He was a shrewd businessman, and in the most troubling times he saved everything of use. In 1978, he still saves everything and tries to exchange those things that he no longer needs. * Once so resourceful and competent, he is still constantly working on small projects, some of which he is incapable of completing. Anja Spiegelman- r * Anja is Art's mother and Vladek's first wife.The couple meets in Poland while Vladek is in a long-term relationship with another woman, Lucia Greenberg. * Always an anxious woman, she suffers an acute depression shortly after the birth of her son and spends three months recovering in a sanitarium. * She survives the Holocaust with her husband, and they immigrate to the United States a few years after the war. * Anja commits suicide in 1968, leaving both Art and Vladek in emotional turmoil. * Art's last memory of his mother is recorded in a comic called â€Å"Prisoner on the Hell Planet,† in which she enters Art's room and asks him if he still loves he r.His response, a terse and dismissive â€Å"sure,† haunts him for years. Lolek- f * Vladek's nephew and Uncle Herman's son. * Lolek lives with Anja's family for much of the initial German occupation, first at Anja's father's house and then in the Srodula ghetto. * When the situation deteriorates and Vladek makes preparations to hide in a shelter until the Nazis have evacuated the town, * Lolek tells his uncle that he is tired of hiding, and he is soon transported to Auschwitz. He survives the camps and eventually becomes a college professor. Richieu Spiegelman- f Richieu is Vladek and Anja's first child, born in Poland in 1937. * In 1943, Vladek and Anja send him to live under the protection of Uncle Persis, where they think he will be safer. * Richieu travels with Anja's sister, Tosha; * But soon after, Zawiercie is liquidated by the Nazis. Rather than be taken to the gas chamber, Tosha poisons herself and the children under her care, including Richieu. * After his death, V ladek and Anja keep a photograph of their first child hanging on the wall of their bedroom. Mala Spiegelman- f * Mala is Vladek's second wife, and a friend of his family from before the war. The couple does not get along. * Mala is consumed with frustration towards Vladek's inability to part with money, while Vladek views his wife with considerable distrust and accuses her of trying to steal his money. Francoise- f * Art's wife. * She is French and converted to Judaism in preparation for their marriage to please Vladek. * She is intelligent, kind, and opinionated, and their relationship is strong. * She plays a relatively minor role in the story, serving mostly as a means for Art to discuss his relationship with his father and the Holocaust. Mr. Zylberberg- f Anja's father. * Before the war, he is a wealthy manufacturer who owns a factory. * When Vladek and Anja are married, he provides Vladek with a factory of his own. * He survives with his family in German-occupied Poland, until the family is captured and sent to await transport to Auschwitz. * By bribing his cousin, Haskel, Vladek is able to arrange for the release of himself and Anja. Orbach- f * A friend of Vladek's family in Poland. * When Vladek is a prisoner of war, Orbach claims him as a cousin, so that Vladek is released into his custody and eventually returns home to Sosnowiec.Vladek's father- f * Vladek's father is a tough and deeply religious man. * His wife dies of cancer before the worst of the Holocaust. * Before the war, Vladek's father intentionally starves his son so that he will be declared unfit for the army. * Later, the Nazi grip tightens, and all Jews are made to register in a nearby stadium. Those who are fit to work are sent to one side, while the elderly and women with many children are sent to their deaths at the concentration camps. By registering at a table manned by his cousin, Mordecai, Vladek's father is spared. Before he leaves the tadium, however, he sees his daughter, Fela (Vladek's sister) and her four small children standing with those destined for Auschwitz. He crosses over to be with her, and all die in the camps. Uncle Herman- f * Anja's brother. * Along with his wife, Hela, he is visiting the New York World's Fair when the war begins, and they remain in the United States to escape the horrors abroad. Tosha- f * Tosha is Anja's older sister. * At the beginning of the German occupation of Poland, she lives with Anja's family in her father's house, along with her husband, Wolfe, and their small daughter, Bibbi. As the situation deteriorates Uncle Persis offers to keep her safely in nearby Zawiercie ghetto, where he is a prominent member of the Jewish Council. * She agrees, and leaves with Wolfe, Bibbi, and Vladek's son Richieu. Soon, though, the Germans slaughter the Jewish Council and begin to evacuate the Jews of Zawiercie to the camps. Rather than be sent to the gas chambers, Tosha poisons herself, her daughter, Herman's daughter Lonia, and Vlad ek's son Richieu. Mr. Ilzecki- f * A former customer of Vladek's from before the war. The two meet again after the German occupation and begin conducting business on the Sosnowiec black market * Mr. Ilzecki has a son about the same age as Vladek's, and he offers to send Richieu along with his own son to a Polish friend to hide until things get better. Nahum Cohn- f * A friend and business partner of Vladek's during his black market days in Sosnowiec. * Nahum is arrested along with his son for selling goods without coupons. * The Nazis decide to make an example of them and they are hanged in a well-know black market center and left there for a full week. Anja's Grandparents- f During the initial period of the German occupation, they live in Anja's father's house with the rest of the family. * Later, they are told to relocate to a â€Å"community better prepared to take care of the elderly. † * The family hides them for over a month, until the authorities arrest Anja's father a nd threaten to arrest more of his family if the grandparents are not given over to the Germans. * Anja's grandparents are taken away to Auschwitz, where they are killed. Haskel Spiegelman- f * Haskel is Vladek's cousin, and chief of the Jewish Police in the Srodula ghetto. He is the brother of Miloch and Pesach. He is what Vladek calls a kombinacya, or â€Å"schemer. † * While he is a rather unsavory character, he is a good person to know in the ghetto. * When Vladek's family is discovered in the â€Å"chandelier† bunker and sent to a compound to wait for transport to Auschwitz, Haskel arranges for Vladek, Anja, and Lolek to be released in exchange for valuables. Miloch Spiegelman- f * Miloch is Vladek's cousin, and brother to Haskel and Pesach. * He is Vladek's supervisor at the shoe repair shop in the Srodula ghetto, and an honorable man compared to the scheming Haskel. When the Germans make plans to eliminate all Jews in the ghetto, he prepares a hidden shelter behi nd a pile of shoes at the shop, where Vladek, Anja, and 15 other people hide for days. Pesach Spiegelman- f * Pesach is Vladek's cousin, and brother to Miloch and Haskel. * Like Haskel, he is a schemer and a rather unsavory character. * His most significant involvement centers on a scheme to sell cake to the inhabitants of the ghetto. * He makes a fortune, but everyone who eats it becomes sick – the cake was accidentally made with laundry soap in addition to flour. Mr. Lukowski- f The janitor at Anja's father's house. * When Vladek and Anja escape from the Srodula ghetto, they knock on his door and he allows them to stay in a shed behind his house. Mrs. Kawka- f * Mrs. Kawka is the owner of a small farm on the outskirts of Sosnowiec, and for a price she allows Vladek and Anja to hide in her barn. * Mrs. Kawka is the person who tells Vladek about the smugglers who can take him to Hungary. Mrs. Motonowa- f * Vladek befriends Mrs. Motonowa at the Sosnowiec black market after the liquidation of Srodula, and she offers to hide him and Anja at her farm, with her seven-year-old son. She is a kind woman, and the house is comfortable, except for a ten-day period in which Mrs. Motonowa's husband returns home from Germany on vacation, and they are forced to stay in the basement. * After Vladek and Anja attempt to escape to Hungary, she shelters Miloch and his family for the remainder of the war. Mandelbaum- f * Before the war, Mandelbaum owned a pastry store in Sosnowiec where Vladek and Anja often shopped. Abraham- f * Abraham is Mandelbaum's cousin. * He agrees to accompany the smugglers, and promises to write Mandelbaum and Vladek if he arrives safely in Hungary. He is betrayed, however, and forced at gunpoint to write the letter anyway. The Karps- f * The Karps are Vladek's neighbors at his Catskills bungalow. * When Art visits his father there, they take him aside and tell him that Vladek cannot possibly take care of himself. Vladek's Kapo- f * A â€Å"kapoà ¢â‚¬  is a Polish supervisor at a concentration camp. * Soon after Vladek arrives at Auschwitz, Vladek's kapo asks the Jews in the barracks if anyone there can speak English. Pavel- f * Pavel is Art's psychiatrist. * Like Art's father, Pavel is a survivor of the Holocaust. Art sees him once a week, and the sessions always seem to make him feel better. Mancie- f * Mancie is a female Hungarian Jew at Birkenau with Anja, * has higher status as a result of an affair with S. S. guard. * She acts as a go-between for Vladek and his wife, carrying notes and food. The Frenchman- f * After Vladek is transferred from Auschwitz to Dachau, he befriends a Frenchman with whom he converses in English. * Because he is not Jewish, the Frenchman is able to receive packages of food through the Red Cross, which he shares with Vladek, probably saving his life. http://www. gradesaver. com/maus/study-guide/character-list/

New Identity

I managed to talk to a friend who happens to know a Filipino, Amang Dado (Father Dado), a 75-year old farmer from the Quezon Province in the Philippines. He came from a family whose life has moved around in planting root crops sold at the local public market for three generations. He had his only son, Eleazar, who was able to study at the University of the Philippines in Manila. The Filipinos highly value education for they believe that it is the only way out of massive poverty especially in the rural areas which happened to include Amang Dado’s family. Eleazar was an intelligent college student and was also active in the school paper of the university. All that changed when Eleazar went missing after he was taken by the military after being mistaken for a communist rebel. It was the Martial Law Era under then President Marcos and he was never to be found again. This struck Amang Dado as his only son went missing up to this date. Since he was poor and would have to travel miles to get to the capital, he could not follow up the loss of his son if he really was dead or alive. Eleazer became part of the local term, â€Å"desaparasidos† or the missing. This changed his view on justice in a society he believed that vowed to help and protect citizens like him. His view on life suddenly changed as his only hope in getting out of their less-fortunate situation was stolen away from him and therefore depriving him of the opportunity of having a son. Next was the grandmother of another friend in California who also happened to be a Filipina who lived during the Second World War. At that time, she was 19 when the Japanese invaded the Philippines and declared Manila as an Open City. Not long after that, the Japanese held everyone hostages. Filipino and American soldiers prisoners-of-war after the Fall of Bataan. She told me that she was at the path of the infamous Death March of prisoners-of-war from Bataan to Tarlac, more than 150 miles apart. Not enough food was available, the currency was of no value, and worse, the Japanese soldiers kidnapped local women and brought them to the garrisons and held them as sex slaves, locally termed as comfort women. Lola Ida was one of them. I can feel the tears coming down from her eyes even from the phone as she recalls that fateful event in her life. She and the other comfort women were fed horrendously and were battered and were used up for sex by the Japanese soldiers continuously at their will. She even recalled a stick put up into her by one of the soldiers. This situation really stricken her as Filipino women value their dignity and virginity very highly and she was lucky to still be alive at the time of the liberation. The war not only destroyed the local economy, but entrenched into the society disrespect for gender. The notion of justice is through fear and all that the people could do is to stay alive. She was able to marry and migrate into where she was right now in Panorama City where she tried to forget the horrendous tragedies of war. â€Å"Life is all about standing up again after every fall†, said Lola Ida. Resiliency is one particular trait that not only Filipinos have but for the rest of the Asians as well. Part II: An Entry on my Autobiography: The Place I Live In I can say that I’m living in a quiet diverse neighborhood, wherein you see people who don’t look like you, or doesn’t speak like you. They have a different skin color, unlike mine which is brown. Well, the majority of people living in my neighborhood are Filipinos, which comprises more than 80% of the population. I have seen and met white people who occupy less than 10% of the total population. I have also seen some other Asian people wandering around like Korean students studying English, and some indigenous natives. These three, along with the other   foreign races in our community comprise only less than 10% of the total population combined. Comparing it with other American states, the number of whites in my neighborhood is a little more than the normal, but still has a significant presence of other races, which are not far behind compared to other states. This diversity has clearly put an interesting twist in living in our neighborhood. Since they are different from the rest of the brown population, I can’t help but think that they are not given a fair treatment by the rest of the brown population. This may be because of their appearance, wherein they are often looked down by the other members of the society. This includes every representative member of the society, from the household members, up to the leaders of the society. They may be given special attention by these people, or worse may even be ignored (Northampton). But because of their position in the society, they try their best to treat each and every member of the society with utmost fairness and equality. In my case, I’ve experienced getting ignored by a policeman when I asked for directions. It happened to me only once, I don’t know if it is because of the fact that I’m part Korean and looked like an American, and it is noticeable in my physical appearance. But that incident was not repeated, so I guess the policeman was just being rude or was having a bad day. In other instances that I asked for something from these community leaders, they try their best to address my inquiries and needs. I haven’t had any first hand experience or haven’t witnessed any instance that these community leaders treated other people from another race or culture differently, but I have a friend who was able to witness something like that. It was on a public office, when a clerk attended to the inquiries of a white person before a black man, even though the black man came to ask first. It is a public office, the office of the District Attorney, someone who is expected to help us in times of need. But if they act like this, they are marginalizing other people (â€Å"Demographic Profile†). The people in my neighborhood treat me normally; they don’t look down on me. I don’t know if it has to do with the color of my skin, but as far as I can remember, I was never treated indifferently by any of them. The worst experience (and hopefully the last) was being called an American-wannabe by my grade school teacher. I don’t know if it was intended to mock me because although I am Filipino, I looked like an American or just her way of addressing me, but I guess she based it on my look. She was pertaining to my physical appearance, but I have never considered it as a big deal. I have seen worse, especially to those people who have a different skin color. Well, addressing someone as white, or calling names like â€Å"whitie† can be considered as marginalizing, but what about beating someone because he’s white, or Asian, or whatever that is different from being normal? I have actually witnessed a black boy being beaten by three guys of his age, who happens to be rich brown Filipinos who are sons of a sugar plantation owner. They are calling names while punching him, until some policeman came by and chased them away. What does color have to do with his personality? Why do they have to resort to violence with small matters like a different color of skin or different accent? These are but some of my questions regarding the difference in cultural orientation which are still unanswered. When I was browsing some of my manuals and school readings, I happen to read by a phrase or Germans. It was about the previous World War II, wherein the Philippines was under the Axis powers, Japan in particular. It has an understatement saying that at that time that the Japanese are ruthless people who derive happiness from the hardships and sufferings of other people. But this is a hasty generalization. The text may be about the previous war, but it is not true that all Japanese are like that. Maybe it was pertaining to Emperor Hirohito and General Yamashita, the famous Japanese leaders who drove Filipinos, Koreans, and the Chinese to their painful deaths. But not all Japanese are like that person, they are but one of the few who has issues for themselves, not for the whole of the people from Japan. When it comes to entertainment and local media, the common people who are usually seen are brown people, addressing the needs of the brown population of our community. But they do feature other people in certain events which prove to be relevant. The most common instance that Chinese or Korean and Filipino people are featured by the media is when it comes to sporting events. They highlight various people who excel in some sports they are also featuring (â€Å"Football Unites, Racism Divides†). If a player who is from a different culture excels in that field and he advocates the media, he’ll surely end up getting presented. In relation to the people who are in leadership positions in my community, I could clearly say that they are the same as me when it comes to treating people from other races. I try not to consider their differences, and as much as possible, treat them fairly, just like any person in the community. I also encourage some of my friends to do so, just like what they do, promoting equality for all the people. The only difference I have from them is that I don’t have the power to make rules that protect these minorities from the cruelty of those who doesn’t see them equally. They can affect a larger number of people as compared to what I can do. People listen to them, as compared to a small voice such as I. They can make a difference, everything lies on their hands. They could punish those who treats the people with different cultural orientation unfairly, so that other people would not commit the same mistakes such as beating guys just because they are black, or mocking the people by calling their names pertaining to their culture. If given the chance that I can resolve inequalities in my community, I would like to resolve racism in grade school levels. It is undeniably a very alarming thought that even at the early age, there are kids that are already discriminating others. This is because they can see that there is really discrimination in the society, and it is said that in the eyes of a child, something that is awfully wrong can be perceived as a right thing to do (â€Å"Help Arrest the Racism in Your Community†). I would like to promote a fair, equal treatment to kids in these schools. Their exposure to racial discrimination is very crucial in the formation of their thoughts. These kids will grow with the thought of having hatred towards the minority, wherein they would marginalize these people and treat them as inferior to them. Childhood is the stage in a person’s life wherein we learn things, our orientations and preferences slowly developing, having a proper focus. If we could just let these kids see that racial discrimination is wrong, and then they would grow up with the belief that it is wrong, thus they won’t do it. With these in hand, we are assured of a better future for the marginalized minorities, since these kids view them as their equals. But if they are continually exposed to just injustice and unfair treatment, they would grow up thinking that they are more superior to these people. The preferences of a person are directly affected to race. The way they dress, their food preferences, they way they speak, the way they eat their food; these are all affected to or accounted to the person’s race. Looking closely, it could be a basis for judging a certain person, whether it is a constructive judgment, or destructive wherein you tend to destroy or stain the morality of a certain person. It is related to rave because these preferences are the basis of the race itself, how it is affected by each of these parts, and how important are they to race. References: â€Å"Demographic Profile†.   2005.   Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. June 24 2007. . â€Å"Football Unites, Racism Divides†.   2004. June 24 2007. . â€Å"Help Arrest the Racism in Your Community†.   Miami, FL, 2007. June 24 2007.. Northampton, The committee for. â€Å"A Community Tackles Racism†.   1994.   Andrea Ayvazian. June 24 2007..         

Mary Shelley British Author of the Novel Frankenstein

Mary Shelley is known for  writing the novel Frankenstein; married to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley; daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. She was born on  August 30, 1797 and lived until  February 1, 1851.   Her full name was  Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley. Family Daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft (who died of complications from the birth) and William Godwin, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was raised by her father and a stepmother. Her education was informal, as as typical of that time, especially for daughters. Marriage In 1814, after a brief acquaintance, Mary eloped with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Her father refused to speak with her for several years afterwards. They married in 1816, soon after Percy Shelleys wife committed suicide. After they married, Mary and Percy tried to get custody of his children but they failed to do so. They had three children together who died in infancy, then Percy Florence was born in 1819. Writing Career Shes known today as a member of the Romantic circle, as the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, and as the author of the novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, published in 1818. Frankenstein enjoyed immediate popularity upon its publication, and has inspired many imitations and versions, including many film versions in the 20th century. She wrote it when her husbands friend and associate, George, Lord Byron, suggested that each of the three (Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley and Byron) each write a ghost story. She wrote several more novels and some short stories, with historical, Gothic or science fiction themes. She also edited an edition of Percy Shelleys poems, 1830. She was left to struggle financially when Shelley died, though she was able, with support from Shelleys family, to travel with her son after 1840. Her biography of her husband was unfinished at her death. Background Mother: Mary WollstonecraftFather: William GodwinSiblings: half-sister Fanny Imlay Marriage, Children husband: Percy Bysshe Shelley (married 1816; poet)children:Percy Florence Books About Mary Shelley: Buss, Helen M. et al. Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley: Writing Lives. 2001.Mellor, Anne K. Mary Shelley: Her Life, Her Fiction, Her Monsters. 1989.Seymour, Miranda. Mary Shelley. 2001.Florescu, Radu R. In Search of Frankenstein: Exploring the Myths Behind Mary Shelleys Monster. 1997.Schoene-Harwood, Berthold and Richard Beynon. Mary Shelley: Frankenstein - Columbia Critical Guides.Shelley, Mary. Collected Tales and Stories. Charles E. Robinson, editor. 1990.Shelley, Mary. Collected Tales with Original Engravings.Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein: the 1818 Text: Contexts, Nineteenth-Century Responses, Modern Criticism - A Norton Critical Edition. 1996.Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus. Angela Carter, introduction. 1992.Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. The Last Man. 1973.