How to Minimize Costs with Effective Project Management Essay

How to Minimize Costs with Effective Project Management - Essay Example In addition, one should ensure not to put too many people in the project and do should avoid bad vendors at all cost. In addition, ensuring that the teams employed have the right skills to pursue the specified goal is also of great importance. This is because the staff does what they know best hence reducing cost and time wastage.secondly, any staff member who meets the desirable goal should be rewarded to motivate them and to encourage the others to do their best, thirdly, should value the contributions of in members’ dimensions to ensure that they are left out. In addition to this, appointing of a qualified project manager to deal with should be in the forefront to ensure that the project remains on the right course to attain. In conclusion, all the contributions of every employee should be valued in all dimensions to avoid favoring some, which leads to low productivity. This is to mean that each individual should be given credit according to what he does

Skoda Business Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Skoda Business Strategy - Case Study Example The market picked up and so did profits. For the first time in Skoda history, the company had a wait list of customers in UK. The company registered continuing and ongoing growth in profits for the fifth year in a row. The Auto industry in the world has been going through an excessive change in performance and growth. In the last decade, the rise of China and Asia as manufacturing hubs changed the course of the auto industry in the world. The market in China and India, seem to be picking up and the Chinese market which has only 2% of its population holding four wheelers is already the size of the Japanese market. This makes it an highly probable growth market in the future (Jianxi Luo 2005). With many of the European and American car manufacturers finding their market dwindling and having surplus capacities have been reducing their manpower. They need to look at fresh and growing markets like that of China and Asia. With only a few players controlling the car market of the world, players like Skoda who has been gaining ground in Europe and in Asia need to be watched. The rising market for Skoda and the increasing profitability of the company makes it a company worthy of analysis (Tulder RV & Ruigr ok W Jun1997). Beating some of the seeded players in the European market is no easy task. But Skoda could do that successfully and looks forward to a major break in the profitability of the company in the current year. All this makes the company, the one that needs analysis of their policies and their strategies. This paper aims at analysing the company and its marketing strategy that has led it to the success that it is now facing. 4. Strategies of the Company Skoda was formed in the year 1894 in Czechoslovakia with the aim of making bicycles. Subsequently, they moved into manufacturing motor cycles and later cars, trucks and buses. During the early twentieth century, the company started producing agricultural and other farm equipments for the east European market. By now the cars of the company found their way to the markets in the Western Europe and there was quite some market for them in UK. But the UK market always had a joke about Skoda particularly the appearance of Skoda. Skoda did make inroads into the West European market and in America because of its ruggedness and reliability. Though technologically poor, the engine under its hood was powerful enough to keep running even in the worst conditions. That made the machine one of the most reliable ones in the market at that time. This saw the population of Skoda increasing in UK. After World War II, Skoda tied up with Volkswagen for technical collaboration. VW invested in the company and ensured that the basic design of the Skoda remained in the early days but soon replaced by the Volkswagen Design since the technology adopted by VW as superior. This brought another marketing strategy that had to break through the already crowded market in Western Europe and in USA as much as in the rest of the world (William Kimberley Jun 2001). The perception of Skoda as an ugly duckling was slowly changing but still persisted. 'Oh! It's a Skoda'. But then it was as usual thought to be efficient and reliable. Skoda now had to make use of some bold advertising and marketing strategy

Enzymes Catalysts In Biochemical Reactions Biology Essay

Enzymes Catalysts In Biochemical Reactions Biology Essay Introduction Enzymes are resourceful catalysts for biochemical reactions, like all catalysts enzymes tend to speed up reactions. Enzymes use alternative reaction pathway of lower activation energy. They take part in the reaction, and as a result their able to provide alternate pathways. Throughout the reaction enzymes remain unchanged because they cannot experience any permanent changes. Enzymes only have the ability to change the rate of the overall reaction; they cant affect the reactions position of the equilibrium (Rsc). In most cases a chemical catalyst will catalyze any sort of reaction, enzymes differ in this sort. Enzymes tend to be specific, and this is due to the shape of enzymes molecules (Rsc). Enzymes are made up of several proteins in a tertiary structure; these proteins tend to be globular. Many enzymes consist of a protein and a non-protein, called a cofactors and coenzymes. Cofactors are inorganic molecules that bind to enzymes to help them function examples maybe be zinc/magnesium ions (Zn2+, Mn2+), and coenzymes are organic molecules that bind to enzymes to help them function. An example of one of the most important coenzymes is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), this substrate acts as an electron carrier in cellular respiration (Nelson Biology 12). Enzymes consist of active sites, which are parts of the enzyme molecule that have the ideal shape and functional groups to bind to one of the reacting molecules. The reacting molecule that binds to the enzyme is called the substrate. An enzyme-catalyzed reaction takes a different direction than a reaction without catalyst. When the substrate binds to the enzyme a reaction intermediate is produced. This intermediate has lower activation energy than the reaction without the enzyme catalyst (Rsc). There are two kinds of enzyme reactions, catabolic and anabolic. In a catabolic reaction the interactions between the substrate and enzyme causes stress and distorts the bonds in the substrate, allowing bonds to break. In an anabolic reaction the enzyme allows two substrates to have proper orientation to allow bonds to form between them. As a result the activation energy is lowered in both the catabolic and anabolic reaction (Nelson Biology 12). Catalase is a common enzyme found in most plant and animal cells that functions as an oxidative catalyst, it decomposes hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water. Its structure is made of 4 main polypeptide chains, which can each be over 500 amino acids long. Catalase optimum temperature can vary depending on the species; similarly the optimum pH also varies from approximately 4-11. In humans however the optimum pH for catalase tends to be neutral. One molecule of Catalase can break down 40 million molecules of hydrogen peroxide each second (Catalase). The overall reaction is: 2 H2O2 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 2 H2O + O2 Many factors such as temperature, pH, inhibition of enzyme activity, substrate and enzyme concentrations can influence the affect the enzyme has on the reaction. As the temperature rises, reacting molecules gain more kinetic energy, as a result the chances of a successful collision increase and thus the rate increases. There is a specific temperature when an enzymes catalytic activity is at its maximum. This optimal temperature is usually around human body temperature (37.5 oC) for the enzymes in human cells (Figure 1). When the temperature increases past the optimal temperature the enzyme becomes agitated, it begins to denature and ultimately lose its overall affect on the reaction (Nelson Biology 12). This occurs because the increase in temperature achieves higher kinetic energy and as a result the intra- and intermolecular bonds are broken in the enzyme molecule (Rsc). Each enzyme works within a fairly small range of pH levels. Similar to temperature there is a pH at which its activity is at its maximum, the optimal pH (Figure 2). This is because changes in pH can create and break intra- and intermolecular bonds, changing the shape of the enzyme and ultimately the rate at which it will react. The rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction depends on the concentrations of enzyme and substrate. As the concentration of either is increased the rate of reaction increases (Figure 3). When substrate concentrations are increased the overall reactions proceeds to increase up to a certain point, at this point the active sites have become saturated by the substrate and there are no further significant changes in the rate of reaction (Figure 4) (Rsc). Some substances reduce or even stop the activity of enzymes in biochemical reactions. They do this by blocking or distorting active sites of enzymes. These substances are referred to as inhibitors. Inhibitors that occupy the active site and prevent a substrate molecule from binding to the enzyme are said to be competitive, as they compete with the substrate for the active site. Inhibitors that attach to other parts of the enzyme molecule, perhaps distorting its shape, are said to be non competitive (Nelson Biology 12). Figure 1: Table 1Analysis Amount of H2O2 (mL) Amount of Distilled Water (mL) Amount of pH Buffer (mL) pH Level Vertical Distance Travelled by Filter Paper Towards Meniscus Time taken by filter paper disc to move to meniscus (s) Upward velocity of Filter Paper Disc (cm/s) 10 mL 5 mL 7 (Control) 8.15 6.6 1.23 10 mL 5 mL 4 8.15 7.05 1.16 10 mL 5 mL 9 8.1 10.4 0.78 10 mL 5 mL 12 7.85 8.14 0.96 Figure 2: Graph 1 Test Tube Temperature ( °C) Distance (cm) Time (s) Rate of Reaction (cm/s) A 10.0 8.00 5.85 1.38 B 21.0 8.00 4.83 1.66 C 35.0 8.00 2.99 2.68 D 50.0 8.00 4.21 1.90 E 80.0 8.00 5.52 1.45 Figure 3: Table 2As the pH increased from 2-7 so did the velocity of the reaction (refer to figure 1: table 1). The reaction had an optimal pH of 7, and as the pH increased after the velocity of the reaction rapidly decreased. Notice the velocity for pH 12 is higher then the velocity of pH 9 (refer to figure 2: graph 1). Figure 4: Graph 2 As the temperature increased from 10oC-30oC so did the rate of the reaction (refer to figure 3: table 2). The reaction had an optimal temperature of 35oC, and as the temperature increased after the rate of the reaction began to rapidly decrease (refer to figure 4: graph 2). Enzyme concentration Distance (cm) Time (s) Rate of Change (cm/s) Other observations 100 % concentration 8 cm 3.02 s 2.65 cm/s bubbles appeared 80 % concentration 8 cm 5.06 s 1.58 cm/s fewer bubbles than previous composition 60 % concentration 8 cm 6.28 s 1.27 cm/s fewer bubbles than previous composition 40% concentration 8 cm 7.5 s 1.07 cm/s fewer bubbles than previous composition Figure 5: Table 320% concentration 8 cm 19.65 s 0.41 cm/s no bubbles appeared Figure 6: Graph 3 Figure 7: Table 4 Figure 6: Graph 3Increasing the concentration of the enzyme catalase (potato juice) rapidly increased enzyme activity (refer to figure 6: graph 3). Concentration of H202 of Distilled Water Trial Time of catalase to travel from the bottom of the test tube to the top (s) Distance of bottom of test tube to substrate(cm) Rate of change of the catalyzed reaction (cm/s) 15 mL of H202 3% 1 5.89 8.0 1.36 2 6.86 8.0 1.17 Total 6.38 8.0 1.27 13 mL of H202 2.6% 1 8.13 8.0 0.98 2 7.11 8.0 1.13 Total 7.62 8.0 1.01 10 mL of H202 2% 1 8.65 8.0 0.87 2 12.8 8.0 0.63 Total 10.73 8.0 0.75 7.5 mL of H202 1.5% 1 9.43 8.0 0.84 2 12.53 8.0 0.64 Total 10.98 8.0 0.74 5 mL of H202 1% 1 10.37 8.0 0.77 2 12.88 8.0 0.62 Total 12.63 8.0 0.70 Figure 9: Table 5 Figure 8: Graph 4Increasing concentrations of the substrate slowly increased from 1% to 2% (refer to figure 8: table 4), then as substrate concentrations increased more the rate of change became more rapid (refer to figure 9: graph 4). Experiment Number Amount of Inhibitor (copper (II) sulphate) (drops) Time taken by enzyme disc to float to top of test tube (s) Distance travelled by enzyme disc to top of test tube(cm) Rate of Change of Enzyme Activity(cm/s) 1 0 4.13 8.0 1.94 2 1 4.68 8.0 1.71 3 5 5.57 8.0 1.44 4 10 6.66 8.0 1.20 5 15 8.57 8.0 0.93 Figure 10: Graph 5 As the amount of copper (II) sulphate increases the overall reactions begins to slow down, and the rate of reaction decreases (refer to figure 10: graph 5). Evaluation Part One: Affects of pH Enzymes are very sensitive to changes in pH, and significant changes in pH can affect enzymes in numerous ways. The effects of pH on enzyme activity are due to changes in the ionic state of the amino acid deposits of the enzyme and the substrate molecules. These variations in charge will affect the binding of the enzyme and as a result, enzyme activity will increase or decrease. Over a tapered pH range these effects will be reversible however high acid levels often cause permanent denaturation of the enzyme (Users.rcn). Before conducting this experiment one can anticipate that pH levels too high or too low would cause the enzyme to denature and thus it would no longer have an affect on the overall reaction. In this experiment 5 pH levels were used 2, 4, 7(control), 9, and 12. When the buffer solution affected the pH levels of the H2O2 from 2 to 4 there was a slight increase in enzyme activity (from 0.47 m/s to 1.16 m/s). There was one control test tube contain ing H2O2 with a neutral pH of 7. This test tube conducted the highest velocity of 1.23 m/s. As a result the optimal pH for the H2O2 was at a neutral pH of 7. When the pH level of the H2O2 increased to 9 the velocity seemed to decrease, which illustrated the loss of the effect of the enzyme. However this trend did not seem to remain consistent because when the pH level was increased to 12 the velocity of the enzyme also increased. As a result, it can be stated that enzymes work best in the region of neutral pH levels, and when pH levels become too high or to low enzyme activity decreases thus the hypothesis proved to be partly correct. Part Two: Affects of Temperature The temperature of the H2O2 can severely affect the overall outcome of a reaction. Like most chemical reactions, enzyme-catalyzed reactions also increase in speed with an increase in temperature. As the temperature of the enzyme increases past a critical point thermal agitation begins to disrupt the protein structure resulting in the denaturation and loss of enzyme function (Nelson Biology 12). The hypothesis for this experiment was similar to that of pH, temperatures too high or too low would cause denaturation of the enzyme and thus it would no longer have an affect on the overall reaction. In this experiment 5 different temperatures were used 10oC, 21oC, 35oC (control), 50oC, and 80oC. When the temperature was decreased to 10oC the rate of the reaction was at it lowest of 1.38 m/s. At 21oC the rate slightly increased to 1.66 m/s. Thus there is a trend of lower temperatures causing the enzyme to lose its overall affect. There was one control test tu be containing H2O2 that was at room temperature which was 35oC. This test tube conducted the highest rate of reactions of 2.68 m/s. As a result the control test tube achieved the optimal temperature. When the temperature of the H2O2 began to increase from 50oC to 80oC there was a trend of the enzyme losing its affect, and having an overall lower rate of reaction. As the temperature increased before the optimal temperature the rate of the reaction increased, and when the temperature continued to increase past the optimal point there was a rapid decrease in the rate of the reaction thus it is evident the hypothesis was correct. Part Three: Affects of Changes in Concentrations The rates of enzyme-catalyzed reactions severely depend on the concentrations of enzymes and substrates. If one person is pushing a car it likely that car will take longer to get to and end point, however if 10 people are pushing that same car it will obviously get to the end point a lot quicker. It is the same with enzyme and substrate concentrations, the higher the concentrations the faster the reaction works. As the enzyme concentration increases so does the number of enzyme molecules, thus more substrate molecules can be acted upon at the same time which means they breakdown a lot faster. As the substrate concentrations increase, the reaction also proceeds to increase however with high levels of substrate concentrations the active sites become saturated and the enzyme no longer has an effect of the reaction (Worthington-biochem). The hypothesis for this experiment was simple, as enzyme and substrate concentrations increase so will the speed of the reactions. When changing the substrate concentrations, the five H2O2 concentrations where 3% (control), 2.6%, 2%, 1.5%, and 1%. The main trend in this experiment was the higher the concentration of the substrate the higher the rate of change. There was a significant and rapid increase in the rate of change from concentrations of 2% to 3%. When changing the enzyme concentrations, the five potato juice concentrations where 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%. Changing the concentration of the enzyme had a similar affect to when the substrate concentrations were changed. The more concentrated the enzyme was the higher the rate of the reaction. The rate of the reaction rapidly increased from 20% to 40%, however it became a bit constant from 40% to 80%, and from about 80% to 100% it began to promptly increase again. As a result, it is evident the hypothesis was correct as the concentrations increased so did the reactions. Part Four: Effect of the Inhibitors Inhibitors are used to block active sites of enzymes. They are substances used to slow down, or in some cases stop catalysis. Inhibitors either compete with a substance for the enzymes active site (competitive), or they bind to another site on the enzyme changing its shape (non-competitive) (Nelson Biology 12). Before conducting this experiment one can anticipate the more amount of inhibitor present the slower the reactions will proceed. In this experiment copper (II) sulphate was used as the inhibitor. In the five trials 0, 1, 5, 10, and 15 drops of the copper (II) sulphate were used. The obvious trend was the more inhibitor the lower the rate of reaction. Thus, the hypothesis was correct. Sources of Error Error #1: Consistency of Filter Paper When conducting each individual experiment for many groups it seemed the most difficult task was getting the filter paper to arrive at the bottom of the test tube. When the filter paper was placed in the test tube it would go about half way down the test tube, however because the reaction catalyzed quickly the filter paper would begin to rise and travel back up to the top of the hydrogen peroxide liquid. As a result you would have to perform the experiment again, with a new catalyzed filter paper. This became a source of error because it made it difficult to collect consistent data. For every test tube, and trial the filter paper did not reach the bottom of the test tube at the exact same time. In some cases it would reach the bottom without difficulty, and in other situations it became a constant struggle to push it down the test tube. During certain trials the experiment had to be performed again and the hydrogen peroxide had already lost its affect from the previous catalyzed reac tion. As a result, it is evident that the consistency and rate at which the filter paper travelled down the test tube is a significant source of error. To improve this source of error, heavier and more durable filter paper should be used. One can purchase wet strength filter paper which will make its way down the test tube on its own without any human force. Error # 2: Accuracy of Inhibitor During this experiment it became difficult to get exactly 15 mL of hydrogen peroxide after the inhibitor has been added. Copper (II) Sulphate is a severely small solvent so when added to the hydrogen peroxide one cannot control the amount of liquid present. This occurs because before adding the copper (II) sulphate it is uncertain how much hydrogen peroxide needs to be reduced in order to have exactly 15 mL. This creates a source of error because now the data collected is inconsistent because of the different volumes of hydrogen peroxide. To prevent this source of error one can use a different inhibitor that will dissolve in the hydrogen peroxide and not change its volume. Error # 3: Catalase in Potatoes During the experiment potato juice was constantly being pumped and used as the enzyme to catalyze the reactions. However it was not considered that each potato is harvested in a different way and one potato may have several nutrients, while the other may be completely dead. This results in the difference of concentrations of catalase that was taken from each specific potato. Once again this source of error causes a inconsistency in the collection of data because one cannot be certain they used the same potato, that pumped a constant concentration of catalase throughout the whole experiment. For the purpose of this experiment if only one potato was ground and made into potato juice then catalase concentrations would be consistent and it would eliminate this source of error. Next Steps A similar experiment that could be performed is Saturation Points of Substrate Concentrations. In the current lab saturation was not tested when changing around substrate concentrations. One can test the amount of substrate it would take to saturate the active site on the enzyme, and proceed to evaluate how much more of the enzyme concentration is needed to unsaturate and dissociate the substrates from the active site of the enzyme. Another experiment that could be performed is Affects on Various Enzymes. Instead of just observing the affects of change of pH, temperature, concentrations, and inhibitors on Catalase it can be tested on other enzymes. For example Cellulase, Lactase, and Pepsin.

samurai ethic in modern japan Essay -- essays research papers

Yamamoto, Tsunetomo Bushido: The Way of the Samurai Garden City Park, NY 2002 After reading this book it is my belief that it is important for Westerners to understand the seemingly strange concepts of Bushido, not only as a guide to events of the past, but as a primer for understanding the Japanese business mentality of today. The first thought that comes to mind when Japanese work ethic is hard working, no breaks, complete commitment to ones job. There may be a reason why Japan was able to rebuild their country so quickly after World War II, this reason is Bushido, the principles of the samurai. The origin of this book is from the Hagakure, which this book was based on was dictated by Tsunetomo Yamamoto, a samurai. And later scribed verbatim by Tsuramoto Tashiro over a period of seven years (1710-1716) in which they lived together in a far off mountain retreat in Japan. Tashiro was sworn to secrecy over the texts contents because the author believed the teachings to be far too radical and too militaristic for the then peaceful times during the Shogunate Rule (1603-1867). During this time of unusual calmness, the teachings of Buddhism and the ethical codes of Confucius permeated Japan, enriching every aspect of its culture from arts to politics. But the old samurai, Yamamoto, believed that the samurai, as a class, had become effeminate and weak. Yamamoto's basic premise was that the samurai could not serve two masters, religion and the clan, and by doing so had become less effective. The service of the lord and the clan should come first, and once this was done, one could the n amuse oneself with the studies of the humanities. In writing the Hagakure, Yamamoto hoped that someday the Samurai would return to the purity of its strong and compassionate past.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book gives a unique look back to the late 18th century, when Yamamoto was active as a samurai. The view is unique, because Japan was unifying and there was less need for each minor lord to have an armed class. The warrior ethic was changing as war became less common. In some way, these notes seem to mourn the passing of the clearest, purest form of that ethic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The warrior ethic only changed, though and still underlies many aspects of modern Japanese thought and policy. The feudal caste system still gives a fair description of different l... ...ect Bushido would have been something lesser, but none the less still of great importance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is a book that I have thoroughly enjoyed, and allowed me to dive into the mind of a typical Japanese business man. Yamamoto is a very insightful man indeed, and it is obvious that his life as a samurai has made him appreciate every aspect in life. I can now understand why their work is their highest priority in their lives and why they work so diligently. It’s is amazing to see how a country that has gone through so much has become one of the world leaders in technology, automobiles, and so many other things. Without Bushido, would Japan be in the same position as lets say the Philippines, or Indonesia, or any other country that is now slowly developing? Even though the Japanese economy has been in decline for the past few years, I have very little doubt in my mind that Japan won’t be able to rise up again, with the principles of Bushido laid in as its’ foundation. Bushido is the moral code that has provided Japan with a national identity and work ethic that has guided them through bloody civil wars, Mongol invasions, a world war, and nuclear devastation.

Jim Elliot Essay

Would you give your life for something you believed in? Jim Elliot died trying to bring people to Christ. This might be all you know about this famous martyr, but he didn’t start out as a missionary in Ecuador. Early on in life, Jim’s parents introduced him to many missionaries who sparked his interest in mission work. In college, he became ever more focused on his goal of spreading the Gospel to the world. Finally, he went to the mission field where he began full-time missionary work. Passionate followers of Christ, like Jim Elliot, will give everything they have, including their lives to reach others, just as Christ did for us.Jim Elliot’s mother had concerns about her son’s safety as a missionary in a foreign country, but Jim recalled that the independent way his parents raised him had helped prepare him for this life. His munificent parents let their children go alone on camping trips for days, and sometimes even weeks. Jim learned many skills from the se trips. They encouraged their children to get jobs early in life. Wanting their children to be self-sufficient and independent, they gave them more freedom than most children had. Because of this independence, Jim later felt comfortable going on his own to live in a foreign country.His camping experiences prepared him to be able to live without many conveniences as he did in the jungles of Ecuador. As a young boy, Jim had many advantageous opportunities to interact with missionaries who were just coming back from the mission field. His parents would have them to dinner and Jim would ask them probing questions about their work. It was stated in Jim Elliot: One Great Purpose, â€Å"It was these visits that began to fire his young imagination with the importance and adventure of missionary life† (Benge, 1999, p.17).As Jim grew into adulthood, his life was actively focused on preparing for the mission field. While attending Bible college, Jim learned about becoming a missionary . He attended camps that trained people to be missionaries. During college, Jim kept an informative, detailed journal on interesting facts about missionary life. Later, he began giving speeches to college students. Jim ardently told the students how unfair it was that the United States had more missionaries and Christian resources than any other country.He stated, â€Å"There was one Christian worker for every five hundred people in the United States while the rest of the world averaged one Christian worker for every fifty thousand people† (Benge, 1999, p. 22). Using these facts, Jim hoped to encourage the students to become highly interested in being missionaries outside of the United States. After college, Jim began praying for a committed missionary partner. He reunited with different friends from college who shared his passion. Many of his partners fell through, but finally, after much praying and searching, he found someone devoted and dedicated to partner with.Now that Jim had a partner, he was finally ready to be a full-fledged missionary in Ecuador among the Quichua Indians. During that time, Jim was increasingly focused on his work. He did not even stop for marriage. Finally though, after living in South America for quite a while, he did marry his college sweetheart, Betty Howard, right there in Ecuador. They even had a child there. Jim and Betty lived out the verse in the Bible that says, â€Å"But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord† (New International Version, Joshua 24:15).While in Ecuador, Jim learned of an isolated tribe called the Aucas; this was a tribe no one had been able to reach with the Gospel because they were so violent. Determined to reach them, Jim Elliot and his resolute partners moved out to a remote location called Palm Beach so they could preach to the vicious tribe. They were only there for a few, short days before Jim and his partners were killed by the very people they were trying to reach. As Jim E lliot was facing death that fateful day, he put his hand on the pocket where he had a gun. He knew he would not use it though.Jim and his partners had made a solemn promise to each other, â€Å"They would not kill those they came to share the gospel with in the name of Jesus Christ† (Benge, 1999, p. 175). What causes a man to be willing to die for a cause? Most people do not set out to die, but people who passionately follow Christ surrender their will to wherever He will lead them. Therefore, they will be obedient to Christ even unto death. Even Jesus prayed, â€Å"O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as You will† (KingJames Version, Matthew 26:39). Jim Elliot developed a passion for Christ early in life. As he grew into a man, his desire to be a missionary became his life focus. When he was finally able to do the Lord’s work in Ecuador, he was willing to give his life to do it. Even though he had a gun on h im, Jim did not use it; this showed that he was truly ready to die for the Lord. There is so much to learn from Jim Elliot’s example, â€Å"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he can not lose† (Elliot, 1958, p. 108).

Analysis of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Bridegroom” Essay

During the First World War, death was a constant threat. Soldiers faced it every day in the trenches, and more succumbed to it. Rudyard Kipling’s Epitaphs of War represents the impact those deaths had across much of the world. â€Å"The Bridegroom† exposes the last thoughts of a dying soldier through an extended metaphor, personification and tone. First of all, the title and first stanza reveal that the speaker, a young soldier, is either dying or already dead. Traditionally, a bridegroom defines a man on his wedding day. In this poem, Kipling personifies the bride as death and therefore the title refers to a man on his last day. The speaker is a soldier fighting in the trenches, writing or at least speaking out to his wife back home. The first stanza initiates the apologetic and sorrowful tone that is used throughout the poem. The soldier asks his wife not to call him â€Å"false† as he rests in other arms. He apologizes to his beloved for abandoning her for a new mistress, death. The arms not only represent death’s embrace, but they also evoke falling to the weapons of the enemy in battle. The stanza also demonstrates that the couple’s marriage is recent as the speaker mentions his wife’s â€Å"scarce-known breast.† The second stanza clearly brings forward the poem’s theme. The soldier mentions his â€Å"more ancient bride,† death. She is qualified as ancient because she has always existed, not only with him but since the beginning of time. He also describes a cold embrace, the word cold working on several levels here. It refers to the deceased and his rigidity, but it also expresses his reluctance to follow death. By calling her â€Å"constant,† Kipling emphasizes the reality of death on the battlefield; she was faithful and always lurked over the soldier. The third stanza describes how the young man escaped from his â€Å"often set marriage† with death through unexplained miracles. We can suppose that he narrowly survived several life-threatening events, thereby cheating death,  which relates back to his â€Å"cheating† on his living marriage. His â€Å"new† marriage is now perceived as â€Å"consummate,† a term which is usually used for unions made complete through the sexual act. This union, however, refers to the soldier’s falling into death’s embrace, finally touching her after a long apprehension and ultimately lying in her bed, his grave. The term â€Å"consummate† can also represent perfection, which, in this marriage refers to the fact that it was meant to be. The last line reinforces the consummation by saying that the union â€Å"cannot be unmade.† Death cannot be unmade; it is a permanent state as the ideal marriage is, but it also returns to the metaphorical bed which will forever remain unmade. In the last stanza, the tone reaches a lull, yet is still filled with sorrow. The speaker urges his wife to â€Å"live,† to move on and allow life to â€Å"cure† her of the painful memory of him. Kipling uses a metaphor to treat memories as a painful disease that can only be cured by time. The soldier expresses fear of being forgotten with the word â€Å"almost.† He wants to be remembered although he mostly desires for his beloved to regain happiness. The final two lines return to a more somber tone as the soldier states he will have to endure the â€Å"immortality† of memories in death. In the end, we can feel the young man has a greater acceptance of his state as he begins using the pronoun â€Å"us† to qualify himself and death. The marriage, having been consummated, as previously stated, they are now one. Immortality is an evocative word, which fits perfectly into the general theme. The soldier is now immortal, fixed in time with his memories and never able to make new ones. The term also refers back to death, which is immortal in its own way. To conclude, Rudyard Kipling’s â€Å"The Bridegroom’ expresses the difficult process associated with death. The various metaphors and personification bring forward the themes in an apologetic, somber tone. The nameless soldier represents all young men who died young unfairly in the trenches, afraid of being disloyal to their countries.